


Calls Me Home

by TricksterKat



Category: One Piece
Genre: Animal Instincts, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Graphic Depictions of Illness, Non-Graphic Violence, Pirates, drabble style, idkman its one piece, kind of, of a kind - Freeform, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-21
Updated: 2015-08-22
Packaged: 2018-04-16 10:37:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 76,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4622148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TricksterKat/pseuds/TricksterKat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luffy and Zoro hit an island before they reach Orange Town, where they find another person for their crew. -She didn't know whether to laugh or cry when Luffy came flying from the sky screaming, "I'll never let you have my Gunner!"- OC. No pairings. Told through snippets. COMPLETE FOR NOW.<br/>Cross posted from FF</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Mellow

Danni wasn’t one to get herself dragged into situations, liking a somewhat mellow life; she usually avoided them, though she didn’t go out of her way to avoid them. But, as she soon discovered, Luffy was the one that started situations and dragged everyone along with him whether they wanted to or not. Of course, it was her own fault they met in the first place.

Eternal

“You’re eyes look like a panda!” Luffy exclaimed cheerfully with a wide smile and a loud laugh. Zoro gave his captain an exasperated look, but Danni merely laughed in response, not in the least bit offended. The first time she’d met her father’s captain, the man had exclaimed nearly the same thing, much to her father’s eternal amusement.  


“I suppose they do,” she chuckled, lips curled in a somewhat indulgent smile. She had no idea who these two men were, but she found herself inviting them over for a somewhat late lunch anyways. The meal was spent listening to Luffy’s dream to become Pirate King and all about how he met Zoro.

Subtle

Her sickness was rather subtle, and so the two men didn’t notice right away. She hadn’t exactly hidden it from them; it just never made itself mentionable until she had gotten a whiff of blossoming ferrywings. The resulting attack had left her shaking from the force of her coughs and blood stained palms.  


Luffy had stared at her with wide eyes, grin gone from his face for once, while Zoro had given her a calculating look. She’d given them both a small smile, shrugging her shoulders and straightening, “I don’t think you’d want someone like me on your crew, Luffy-san.” 

Cheat

Danni struggled against the bonds around her wrists, scowling heavily as she did so. The mayor had sent his men after her once again, and they had managed to catch her by surprise, much to her own disgust. Her only (if meager) comfort was that she had definitely sent a few to the doctor’s with her ever trusty flintlock rifle. They weren’t bullet wounds, but she preferred to save those bullets for truly worthy opponents.  


Her struggles were interrupted by the door opening, and the sleazy man of a mayor entered the room, leering down at her. “You don’t get to refuse this time, my precious flower,” the man grinned, stepping into her personal space and tilting her chin up with a finger.  


She glared at him menacingly and scoffed, “Only because you cheated, you pompous bastard!” Danni wasn’t usually so confrontational but the man was a pervert and he had taken away her rifle.

Transparent

To Danni’s disgust the wedding dress she had been forced into was slightly transparent, revealing her torso slightly and way more than she liked. The fact that her hands were literally tied was hidden by the bouquet of flowers forced into her hands, and she was fighting back a vicious cough from the fumes permeating from the fauna.  


The mayor was standing next to her, smug smile in place, having finally gotten the thing he so desired. The priest standing at the altar between them was reciting the wedding vows, and Danni felt sick to her stomach (which was not because of the blood she could taste at the back of her throat). 

Believable

She had pictured many scenarios in her head of some way to escape before she was forced to seal the wedding, but she never would’ve guessed the actual event that saved her. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when Luffy came flying from the sky screaming, “I’ll never let you have my Gunner!”  


Danni ended up doing both when the young pirate captain landed on the mayor, flattening him to the ground. Tears streaming down her face, but laughter dying swiftly as she finally let her cough take over, dropping the flowers and kicking them away. Hands gripped her own and gently undid the knots, and she was met with the serious face of Luffy, who (when noticing he had her attention) asked, “Are you okay, Danni?”

Repeat

Zoro had pilfered her rifle from one of the men who had apparently been keeping it, and handed it to her silently, a trail of beaten men behind him. Danni took it with a grateful smile, stroking the black rifle lovingly and checking it for any marks. Finding none, she gripped the long end of the gun, instead of readying it to pull the trigger, and swung it over her shoulder.  


The mayor had gotten up by now, clutching his broken and bleeding nose, and shouting something about how this was unforgivable, and he was the mayor, and they would certainly pay for this dearly. Luffy was staring at the man blankly and Zoro scoffed, “Shut him up already, woman.”  


Danni let a grin spread across her face, ignoring the blood coating her lips, and readying the rifle in her hand like a bat, said as she swung, “With pleasure.” In a repeat version of Luffy’s landing, the mayor fell to the ground with a crash from the hit from the butt of the rifle. Luffy cheered, laughing widely, and Zoro had a smirk stretched across his face.

Addicted

“Join my crew, Danni!” Luffy exclaimed excitedly, even as he stuffed more meat into his mouth. The trio had retreated to her house after the wedding fiasco, and her older brother (adopted) had swiftly prepared a meal for them, thankful to the boys for rescuing her.  


Danni smiled at the younger boy indulgently and asked in return, “Even though I’m sick and only have around six years left?” It wasn’t that she thought Luffy didn’t actually want her on the crew; she just had to make sure he knew what was in store if she joined.  


Luffy nodded his head vigorously, swallowing convulsively before he said in a factual tone of voice, “We’ll just get an awesome doctor!” Zoro face palmed, but after a somewhat stunned pause, Danni threw her head back and laughed freely. Her brother watched them with a soft smile, already knowing his sister’s answer. He’d known that, even though she was sick, she would have left eventually. The sea called to her, and she would follow in her father’s footsteps.

Write

Even with Danni on board, they were left to the wiles of the ocean with no idea as to where they were headed. When questioned by Zoro why she didn’t know how to navigate, she had laughed and responded, “I never wanted to learn. I told myself if I ever set sail, I’d let the ocean guide me to my destination!”  


During their drifting the only girl of the trio of pirates, sat writing, a wistful expression on her face. Zoro, despite his somewhat thickheadedness, knew not to ask what she was writing, but Luffy had no qualms. “What’cha writing?” Luffy asked, leaning towards her.  


Danni looked up, and a somewhat stilted silence prevailed. “...A letter I’ll never send,” she finally answered, lips twisting into a wry smile.  


Luffy cocked his head to the side, “To who?”  


The dark haired girl’s hand paused in its writing, face reluctant to reply, but she did anyways. “My father.”

Soulful

Danni had never thought something like that could have so much emotion, but for some reason, Luffy managed to make his pleads for food look soulful. It hadn’t taken long for their food store to be completely depleted, even with Danni’s forethought to pack extra. So now, Luffy and Zoro were complaining about being hungry (mostly Luffy, if she were to be honest).  


The two boys were sprawled out on the deck of the boat, staring up at the sky when Zoro pointed out, “Oh. A bird.”  


Luffy’s immediate response to seeing said bird was, “Looks pretty tasty...” There was silence where Danni stared up at the bird and wondered how on earth Luffy could see if the thing was tasty or not. Luffy’s face split into a wide grin and he turned to his two nakama excitedly, “Let’s eat that bird!”  


Zoro furrowed his brow and asked, “How are you going to eat it?” Danni didn’t bother asking. If Luffy wanted to eat it, he’d find a way. Luffy stretched his arms out and grasped the shaft holding the rolled up sail, and before Danni could even protest, he was shooting himself up towards the bird he wanted to eat.

Broken

The two left on the ship stared as their captain was caught by the bird and then with a jolt they realized the bird was taking him away. “YOU MORON!!” Danni screamed, even as Zoro frantically began to row the boat in the same direction the bird was heading with their wayward captain. “IS YOUR BRAIN BROKEN?” She gripped her rifle, debating on whether she should shoot at the bird or not, but in the end it was too far away for her to shoot. She wasn’t a sniper.  


Shouts for them to stop the boat had Danni groaning in exasperation and Zoro complaining about idiots in trouble. He looked at her though and asked, “What do you wanna do?”  


She frowned, before shrugging, “I don’t care, if they manage to get on they get on, otherwise just run them over.”

Stop Time

“Just how many of you are charging at one girl?” Zoro asked, slamming his sheathed swords at the pirates. Nami jerked, glancing over her shoulder in surprise.  


Luffy grinned widely and cheered, “Zoro!” Danni crouched down next to her caged captain, resting her rifle on her shoulders idly and glancing around the rooftop with half lidded eyes. Luffy’s attention was too focused on his first mate to realize the girl was there. “Yah...thank goodness you actually found this place! Get me outta this thing quick!”  


“Geez, captain,” Danni sighed, rolling her eyes and finally getting said numbskulls’ attention. “You attract all sorts of trouble, don’t you?”  


Zoro sighed, resting one sword on his shoulder, “Is this your idea of fun? You get caught by that bird and carried away, and when we finally find you, you’re locked up in a cage? Stupid!” Luffy grinned unrepentantly, and Danni shook her head. The pirates around them started to mutter about the ‘Pirate Hunter Zoro’, and the girl pouted.  


“Luffy, I feel ignored,” she whined. Her captain merely laughed. She watched idly as Zoro sliced that weird pirate with a red nose to piece, and noticed something odd. Ignoring Luffy’s comment about the guy being weak, she pointed out, “There isn’t any blood.”  


Zoro heard her and he frowned sharply, turning back to the sliced body and preparing to redraw his blade. He drew his sword just in time to block the incoming knife, held by a floating hand. “What the-!” Danni glared at the attempted backstabbing, wrinkling her nose. 

Pauses

Danni rolled her shoulders, rubbing the back of her neck as she stared at her opponent. Zoro had already finished his own battle, and had fallen to the floor for a nap. “Luffy,” the girl called out, looking over her shoulder at her grinning captain. “I’m not going to use any bullets.” He merely laughed in response.  


“Oi,” her opponent called out, face annoyed. “You’re gonna need those bullets if you even think to win.”  


The older woman scoffed, “As if. I’m not wasting any bullets on a circus freak like you.” With that said she unhooked her rifle from her back and twirled it over her shoulder easily so she was grasping the neck and the butt rested on her shoulder.  


The man across from her narrowed his eyes and scowled before he began to juggle a bunch of black balls. With a flick of his fingers three of the balls were sent flying towards her and she readied the rifle. She swung the gun and hit all three of the balls, sending them straight back the way they came. One of the exploded against her gun, but she forced herself to ignore it, and moved in through the resulting smoke.  


She was not about to lose to some circus freak!

Alcohol

“Ahh, Luffy, you owe me alcohol after this,” Danni complained, trying to regulate her breathing as they ran from the rampaging villagers chasing after them. Luffy laughed, lugging Zoro up even further on his shoulder.  


They leaped onto their boat, Nami following behind onto the stole Buggy Vessel. “I’ll buy you some the next island, Danni!” Luffy promised cheerily. Danni merely grunted at him, collapsing back against the boat and closing her eyes.

Affront

“Is there a village here?” Luffy asked looking around the island, and pointing a finger absently. Danni climbed out of the boat with an irritated scowl, swinging her rifle over her back, and then pushing her long braid back over her shoulder.  


“There better be,” she sniffed. “You still owe me alcohol.” She was still a bit miffed at the fact that the last island they’d landed at had been uninhabited (mostly) and thus had no alcohol.  


Nami smiled, “Don’t worry, there looks to be a small village here.” Danni nodded shortly, glancing in the direction where she spotted four heads peeking over a log. She raised an eyebrow but ignored them for the moment. Zoro followed her out of the boat stretching.  


“Been a long time since I last stood on firm ground,” he yawned. Danni snorted, smiling slightly. Luffy laughed cheerily, pointing out that Zoro had slept for most of the time. “By the way, I just noticed a moment ago,” Zoro started, ignoring his captain and pointing in the direction of the four heads behind a log, “What are those guys doing there?”

Run

Danni didn’t understand it, but for whatever reason Usopp looked rather familiar to her, but she couldn’t figure out for the life of her why. It wasn’t like they had ever met before. She ignored it for now, figuring it would come to her eventually.  


Content with that, she returned to her sake, glancing over at the three kids that had approached their table demanding for their captain. Or something like that. It was amazing they had even approached them, considering they had run before. “Yum yum!” Luffy exclaimed happily. “What a delicious meat!” Danni snorted, hiding a grin behind her cup as she took another swallow of the alcohol.  


“Your captain...,” Zoro started, leaning against his hand and smirking darkly. “We just ate him.” The three kids screaming, eyes bulging as they stared at Nami, who took offense to that. Danni merely threw her head back and laughed loudly. 

Experience

“You’re the son of a filthy pirate,” the butler (she hadn’t even tried to remember his name) said, pushing his glasses up with the heel of his hand, “I’m not surprised that you turned out this way but you had better stay away from oujo-sama!”  


Luffy blinked, “His dad was a pirate?” Danni frowned sharply. There was nothing wrong with having a pirate for a dad! She clenched her hands into fists, biting her cheek to stop herself from saying something.  


“You and oujo-sama belong to totally different worlds. Is it money you’re looking for? Name your price,” the butler continued, voice condescending. Danni did not like this man; he rubbed her completely the wrong way.  


Kaya apparently had had enough as she yelled, “That’s enough, Clahador! Apologize to Usopp-san at once!!”  


The man turned his head in her direction in an almost lazy manner, hands held out, “There is no need for me to apologize to this uncivilized person! I’m just telling the truth.” He turned back to Usopp, pushing his glasses up with the heel of his hand, “I feel sorry for you... You hate your father, don’t you? Because he’s a “dumb treasure hunter” who deserted his family and village!”  


“I won’t let you say another bad thing about my father!” Usopp growled, glaring at the man fiercely. Danni frowned and moved her rifle from her back and into her hand. She was just about reaching her limit on the filth spewing from the butler’s mouth. She had experienced it before, but it still never failed to make her blood boil.

Clahador looked down at the teen, “Why are you so angry? Not very smart, are you? You should have just told your usual lies...and say that your real father is a travelling merchant...or that you and him are not blood-related...”  


Before Usopp could do something completely stupid, Danni had her rifle in hand and was pointing the muzzle at the man’s forehead, eyes hard. “What’s so bad about having a pirate for a father, huh?” she sneered coldly, finger hovering above the trigger, ready to fire.  


Fatality

Luffy hit a fist on the palm of his hand, “Ah. So those two...” Zoro glanced over at him in confusion, but kept his hand on the hilt of his sword. He’d been ready since Danni had moved her rifle, ready to fight if it came down to it. He’d never seen her like this.  


Danni kept the gun steady, no hint of moving the potential cause of fatality in sight. Clahador seemed to have no worry about the gun hovering over his forehead as he scoffed, “Pirates are nothing but worthless scum, and their unfortunate spawn are no less different.”  


A cold smile crossed her face and she nearly purred, “Really? Cause I’m rather proud of my daddy, and I can say with a surety Usopp is rather proud of his as well.”  


“Danni,” Luffy called, face and voice serious.  


Wrinkling her nose, she nonetheless flicked the safety back on her gun, and swung it across her shoulders, “Hai, Hai, captain.” She stepped back to her crew, glaring mulishly at the butler, and smirking in satisfaction when he continued to spill filth about Usopp’s father and got himself punched in the face and screamed at.

Helping Hand

Danni followed Luffy as he looked for Usopp, who had vanished shortly after they had all left the mansion. They found him on a cliff under a tree. Danni hovered in the back as Luffy climbed up the tree and appeared in front of Usopp’s face, hanging upside down from a branch. Luffy landed in a handstand from the tree, and Danni moved closer, arms crossed in front of her. “Yasopp is your father, right?” Luffy asked.  


“Eh?” Usopp exclaimed, as Luffy sat down, Danni following him shortly after and plopping right down next to her captain, ignoring the shocked look Usopp was giving her. “How did you know?”  


Luffy grinned cheekily, “I met him when I was young.”  


Danni raised a hand up lazily, “I did as well, though not the same time as Luffy.”  


“What? You guys met my father?” Usopp cried, gaping at both of them.  


Luffy continued to grin happily, “Yeah. You look a lot like Yasopp; that’s why I felt like I had met you before. Your story helped me remember.” Danni had to wonder if Luffy had figured out who her own father was. She would have to guess he figured it out from her performance earlier, but who knew with him.  


“Where is he now?” Usopp asked eagerly.  


Luffy shrugged, “I don’t know, but he has to be with Shanks for sure! Yasopp is my favorite crewman!” Danni didn’t know if she should feel offended by that or not.  


Breeze

Before Onion could hit the tree, Danni caught him in her arms, glaring at Jango and frowning. “It’s not nice to throw kids, you know,” she drawled, wrinkling her nose, and putting the shell shocked kid down on the floor behind her.  


Jango stared at her silently, before cocking his head to the side. “Nice? Why would I want to be nice? I’m a pirate,” the man pointed out.  


“Ugh, your kind of pirate is despicable,” Danni spat, lunging forward and drawing her rifle at the same time. Jango scoffed at the weapon, readying his chakrams and the two weapons collided. Much to the man’s shock the wood of the rifle didn’t splinter, or even scuff the surface under his blade. The girl grinned in response, twirling her gun, and smashing the butt into his stomach.  


Jango frowned, coughing slightly, having just barely dodged the blow. He lashed out with his chakram, and she ducked under, but missed the second one coming at her from the side. All three of the children yelled out a warning, and Kaya let out a short scream as the blade neared the other woman’s back. Blood flew through the air.

Get Up

“Damn!” Zoro cursed, trying to run faster to reach the clearing the group was in, the three kids huddled protectively in front of Kaya and Danni bleeding profusely from her back, lying on the ground, but gripping Jango’s leg to prevent him from going after the others.  


Usopp frowned, “We’re not going to make it.”  


“Well, I’m certainly going to try!” Zoro grunted darkly preparing to pull one of his swords out of their sheaths. Jango scowled down at Danni who was glaring up at him defiantly, still with her vice like grip on his leg. The man lashed out with his leg, hitting her in the face, and her grip vanished as she cried out, coughing harshly.  


Usopp gulped, thinking furiously on what to do. Zoro, however, yelled out, ignoring the pain of his own wound, “GET UP, WOMAN!” Usopp grinned. That was it! Danni swallowed a glob of blood, jolting at the sound of Zoro’s shout, and scrambling to her feet unsteadily and lurching forward awkwardly. Her back and chest were screaming at her, but she persevered, and managed to wrap her arms around Jango’s waist tightly, staunchly refusing to let go.  


“Zoro, cut the branches!” Usopp muttered in the swordsman’s ear. He nodded tightly and pushed his body further, slicing through the branches, and vindictively enjoying the shocked face of Jango, when he was hit by one of Usopp’s projectiles. Danni let go of the man, scrambling back to avoid the man’s body as it fell back on the ground, completely unconscious.  


Zoro let Usopp clamber off his back and fell to the ground next to Danni, catching her with a grunt when she pitched forward. She grinned up at him weakly and he snorted. “Stupid woman,” he grumbled.  


“I’m gonna use your stomach as a handkerchief, brat,” she muttered, coughing into her crewmate’s stomach harshly, the noise muffled by the haramaki and by the rest of the group’s voices. Zoro winced at the sound, tightening his grip briefly, before relaxing it and letting the girl ride out her coughs.


	2. Chapter 2

Worst Day

“Luffy, you had better aim that cannon ball away from the restaurant,” Danni snapped. Luffy looked at her with wide eyes, but did as told, only just barely managing to avoid the restaurant.  


The captain climbed off the railing, grinning like an idiot, and point towards the ship, “To the food!” Nami face palmed and Zoro smirked. Usopp laughed, trying and failing to hide his utter shock at what Luffy had just done. Danni merely grunted, rubbing her forehead tiredly.  


“You guys go on ahead, I’m gonna go lie down for a bit,” Danni called, waving over her shoulder as she headed below deck. Luffy waved back cheerfully and Zoro grunted in affirmation. Nami quirked an eyebrow at the other girl’s retreating back, while Usopp frowned worriedly.  


“Is Danni okay?” the sharpshooter asked.  


Luffy merely laughed, “She’ll be fine!” Zoro shook his head, and made a mental note to bring something back for the woman. It wasn’t like Luffy would remember to. A while later, the crew was back, Zoro with a bowl of hot soup in tow and Danni was regaled with the tale of their new chef from Luffy, who was grinning in childish excitement as he did so.

Villain

“Man, he must have pissed someone off in the Grand Line,” Danni muttered, resting her cheek on a fist and staring at the current “villain”, Don Krieg, with lazy eyes.  


“Don’t be upset, but I don’t think we should go there!” Usopp said weakly, face pale. Danni snickered at the younger boy.  


Zoro rolled his eyes, “You’d better shut up.” The swordsman leaned back in his chair, his white katana resting on his shoulder, while Usopp had his hands pressed flat against the table, frowning. Danni merely grinned, rifle between her legs with the butt on the floor, and muzzle, caught in the crook of her arm.  


“Looks like we caught some attention,” Danni laughed.  


Zoro grinned, “Are you going to fight, Luffy? Need some help?” The two older ones of the trio easily ignored the stares they were getting, whereas Usopp was lucky he had the table to hide his shaky knees.  


Luffy blinked at them, “Ehh? No. I don’t need any help. You guys just sit there.”  


Don Krieg threw his head back and laughed. Loudly and obnoxiously. “Are they your crew?” he asked, between laughs. “Only a bunch of kids! Hah!”  


Luffy frowned and held up two fingers, “That’s not all. I have two more!” Sanji muttered something about being included in that number, making Danni snicker again.  


“Stop fooling around, kid!” Don yelled, laughter gone and anger replacing it. “Because of lack of information, my 5000 men were destroyed in seven days on that evil sea!!” Everyone made exclamations of shock and confusion, while Danni barely managed to repress an amused smile.  


“Did you hear that?” Usopp cried, tears streaming down his face. “50 ships were destroyed in only a week!”  


Zoro smirked, “That’s so interesting.”  


“More like pathetic,” Danni snorted. 

Bewitching

Danni bit her lip, standing next to Luffy who was watching Zoro silently, lips turned down at the corners slightly. “Ahh,” Danni sighed rubbing the back of her neck, and pulling her braid forward and over her shoulder. She fiddled with it nervously, chewing on her lip and watching the one sided fight with mixed feelings.  


Seeing the knife slice into Zoro’s chest, her arm snapped out and gripped onto Luffy’s arm tightly, never tearing her gaze away from the sight. Danni felt like she was bewitched, watching the blood splash to the deck, and unable to tear her eyes away. “Do you want this knife to go through your heart?” Mihawk asked. “Why aren’t you stepping back?”  


Zoro kept his eyes forward as he answered, “I...I don’t know. However, if I take a single step back...I’d feel that I had broken my promise, and I will not be able to stand here again.” Danni’s fingers tightened around Luffy’s arm, and she jolted slightly, when her captain placed his hands on top of her’s, even though he wasn’t tearing his eyes away either. 

Jubilant

“Don’t worry, that kid is alive,” Mihawk said simply, back turned to Luffy, who was back flat on the deck. Danni could hold her tears in and let them overflow, lips stretched into a grin. She barely listened to the man challenge her nakama; her fist slowly unclenching from where it was wrapped around the Baratie’s railing, and moving to cover her mouth in relief.  


“Kid,” Mihawk started, looking over his shoulder slightly to look at Luffy. “What’s your goal?”  


“To become the greatest pirate,” Luffy answered with a matter of fact tone of voice.  


Mihawk smirked, “What a stupid dream. It means you have to become stronger than me, you know?” Danni coughed lightly into her hand, trying to relax her body from its tense state. She really didn’t want to have an attack now, not in front of all these people.  


Luffy scowled and responded, “I don’t care. I will become one and you will see that!” He then turned away from the swordsman and yelled, “Usopp! Is Zoro alright?”  


Usopp nodded; face pale even as he applied pressure to the wound, his hands becoming stained with blood, “He’s not dead, just unconscious!!” With cries of surprise, Zoro’s sword rose up in the air.  


“Zoro?” Luffy asked, eyes wide.  


“Lu-Luffy...C-can you hear me?” Zoro asked weakly, continuing when his captain replied in affirmation. “I am sorry for making you worry about me. If I can’t become an invincible swordsman, you’ll be worried about me, right?” Danni couldn’t stop her tears, or her wide smile as the man continued, after shouting out in pain. “From now on! I won’t lose to anyone ever again!! Until I can defeat that man and become an invincible swordsman! I won’t ever lose! Forever! Do you have any problems, greatest pirate?”  


Luffy laughed, a wide, relieved smile stretched across his face, “Nope!” Danni let out a somewhat hysterical, but certainly jubilant laugh, closing her eyes against her tears.

Languid

“My captain’s not gonna die,” Danni scoffed, crouching down next to Sanji, and glaring at him. The blonde gave her a wide eyed stare, but his attention was soon caught back towards Luffy, her comment forgotten. She watched her captain silently, trusting him to win, no matter what. She sighed, stretching languidly as she stood, shouldering her rifle.  


“He’s unbelievable,” Sanji muttered, clutching his ribs.  


Zeff wobbled over to the blonde, face serious. Danni stepped back and away, keeping her eyes on her captain. “Take a close look at him, Sanji,” Zeff started. “It’s hard to find someone like that...someone who won’t give up until death.”  


“Won’t give up until death?” Sanji parroted, even those his eyes were on Luffy.  


Zeff hummed in agreement, “He’s a very dangerous man to fight.” Danni had to agree with that. Sometimes the most dangerous people in the world are the ones who won’t give up, not until they’re dead. They’ll keep on coming, no matter how injured they are.

Obsessive

Danni cursed, tossing her rifle at Zeff, who caught it automatically, looking at her with wide eyes, before she was rushing off, ignoring both of the chefs. Zeff explained the devil fruit to Sanji who cursed as well and was about to dive into the ocean, when Danni pushed him aside with a glare. “He’s my captain! You just sit on your ass and rest!” she snarled, before taking a deep breath and diving into the water.  


She quickly found her captain, and gripped him tight, before kicking hard up to the surface, ignoring the painful tightness in her chest. She was saving her captain first, and her attack could bloody well wait! She broke the surface, gasping for air, and scowled at the unconscious Luffy. “God, why do you have to be such an obsessive idiot,” she coughed, rolling her eyes as she moved for the deck.  


He may be an idiot, but he was still her captain.

Recoil

“Oh yeah!” Luffy exclaimed, lips spread in a wide, toothy smile. “Sanji, this is Danni, my Gunner!” The rubber man gestured to the woman sitting next to him, eyes closed and rifle between her legs and resting on one shoulder. Upon the sudden introduction though, dark eyes opened to stare at the blonde, who was looking at with hearts in his eyes.  


Before she could react the blonde chef had her hands in his, bent on one knee and exclaiming, “You are a beauty to behold and love has struck me through! You are blossoming like a fragrant flower in the--”  


He was cut off by Danni recoiling almost violently, and flipping her rifle up and thus slamming the butt into the chef’s stomach. She stared at the downed blonde, eye twitching and her hands tight around her weapon. “Do not ever call me that again!” she hissed, a shiver crawling down her back in remembrance of the sleazy mayor that had tried to marry her. Sanji managed to choke out something along the lines of ‘yes, ma’am’. Luffy was laughing loudly, clutching his stomach.

Vehement

Danni stayed silent, arms crossed in front of her and merely watching quietly. Luffy suddenly fell back and Johnny let out a cry of shock. Luffy crossed his arms behind his head and closed his eyes, “I’m gonna sleep here.” Danni snorted quietly and crouched down, cupping her chin in her hand and chewing on an unlit cigarette Sanji had given her when asked.  


“Sleep!? At a time like this?” Johnny shouted, waving his arms around in the air wildly.  


Sanji stomped his foot a couple times on the ground as he exclaimed, “And you’re gonna sleep in the middle of the street like this?”  


Luffy yawned, keeping his eyes closed, “I’ve never thought of getting off this island, and I don’t care about what happens here. Besides, I feel a little sleepy now.” Danni looked off to the side, switching the unlit cancer stick to the other side of her mouth. “I will sleep now.” Zoro face palmed, Johnny gaped, at loss for words, and Sanji frowned, eyebrow twitching.  


“Stop playing around!” Nami shouted, face pale and hands clenched tightly. “You’ll get killed!” Danni stood at that, lips turned down into a frown. She stepped forward, and looked the younger girl dead in the eye, making her flinch back at the intensity.  


Danni narrowed her eyes, before her expression blanked and she said quietly, but with a somewhat harsh vehemence, “You should trust more in your captain.”  


Nami flinched back and spat, “He’s not my captain."

Collide

“Let’s go,” Luffy ordered. Danni crouched down next to Nami, who was looking at the men of their crew, wounded hand covering her mouth and tears streaming down her face.  


The older girl reached out and rested a hand on the back of her neck and tugged her forward into a tight embrace. Nami let out a stifled sob, and lips brushed her ear as Danni murmured, “I told you to trust your captain.” Nami bit her lip and buried her face in the dark haired woman’s shoulder. Danni tightened her grip briefly, before pulling away and grinning, “You should trust your nakama, Nami.” The navigator let out another sob, but managed a tremulous smile.  


Danni smiled and then stood, turning her back on the girl and heading after the boys. With her face unseen by Nami, she let her smile vanish and a dark look took over her face. Those pirates were going to pay.

On My Mind

“Oii,” Danni called out, by passing the villagers standing in front of the broken entrance. She stepped through the gate, rifle resting against her shoulder. She looked around, quirking an eyebrow at the damage, and noticed something was missing. “Hey, where’s the captain?”  


Zoro growled, glancing her way briefly, “He got tossed in the water. We can’t get him right now.” Danni sighed, tapping her fingers against her gun’s neck. She’d already figured that Usopp had run and had his own opponent, and by the looks of it Sanji and Zoro had their own opponents. What was a girl to do?  


“I will be your opponent,” the fourth fishman spoke up, looking at her with a blood thirsty leer. His mouth was full of needle like teeth, and a weird antenna like thing with a bulb at the end protruded from his forehead. She wrinkled her nose at him, but nodded in acceptance anyway. She had the distinct feeling she would be glad her dad had given her a reinforced rifle.  


Mirror  


Danni gritted her teeth, tightening her grip on her rifle and ignoring the blood dripping steadily down her face. She had managed to get into the forest with her opponent following after her, but it seemed as if the shadows of the many trees were more of an advantage for her opponent than herself. She cursed under her breath from her perch in a tree and clutched her throbbing side, and trying to ignore the blood there as well.  


The fishman used his antenna as a sort of hypnotizer thing, before he attacked with his teeth when you were too distracted and confused by the glowing orb at the end of the antenna. It had her at a disadvantage and she could feel her lungs beginning to protest the work out. Shaking her head roughly, she muttered, “Alright, if I can’t stop being distracted by the orb with my eyes open, I’ll just have to keep them shut.”  


With that in mind she leapt from the tree and landed on the ground, falling into a roll and into a bush, closing her eyes once she hit the floor. Slowing her breathing after she had stood, she used her ears to listen for the fishman she had outrun just minutes before. It wouldn’t be long before he caught up to her. The wind whistled through the trees, and she readied her rifle when she heard the tell of someone travelling through the brush.  


Closer. Her wounds throbbed painfully. Closer. She tightened her grip on the rifle. Now. She swung with all her might and the gun hit with a satisfying thunk. Her victory was short lived though as her gun was pushed away and a fist was planted in her stomach. 

Kneel

“How pathetic you humans are,” Anglad, her opponent, laughed, forcing her to the ground with his grip on her hair. “You should kneel before my superiority.” She bit back the pained tears at the harsh grip on her hair, wincing when her knees hit the forest floor hard. Her rifle was somewhere off to the side, out of reach, and she couldn’t force his hand to let go with her own.  


Her chest constricted painfully and her breath hitched, and her eyes widened. No. Not now. Please. Her body paid no attention to her pleas and before she could stop it, coughs wracked her body. Blood splashed past her lips and onto the ground, and Danni bent over roughly, the grip on her hair gone as the fishman stepped back in surprise.  


Fingers digging into the earth, she shook violently, coughing harshly as even more blood spilled past her lips. “Damnit,” she gasped, the corners of her vision turning black. Her hair was mess, most of it coming out of its normally tight braid, and shadowing her face. Anglad was laughing and she had no time to react before his foot connected with her side. A loud crack echoed through the air.

Locked

His hand was locked around her throat, and he was glaring at her menacingly. “Why won’t you just die already?” he growled, spitting a glob of blood off to the side. A nasty bruise was forming around his eye and blood caked his forehead. He was also missing quite a few teeth.  


Danni forced a blood stained smile across her face, “Cause I still have six more years.” He gave her a confused look, not understanding in the least. “Also,” she started her grin widening. “You shouldn’t have brought me over here.”  


Before he could figure out what she meant, she stomped on the edge of the butt of her rifle, causing it to flip up and she grasped the neck tightly. He jerked back, letting go of her neck and he sneered, “What’s the use of your weapon when you don’t even shoot it?”  


She narrowed her eyes at him, and quick as lightning the gun was flipped with the muzzle pointed at his heart and her finger pulled the trigger. He had no chance to dodge at the point blank range and the shot went straight through, blood exploding from the back. “Whoever said I didn’t shoot?” she asked coldly as the corpse fell to the floor with a thud.  


With a grunt Danni fell back on her butt, leaning against a tree tiredly. She coughed weakly, sighing deeply afterwards. “Sorry, Luffy,” she muttered. “I think I’ll have to wait here for you.” 

Tucking her rifle in the crook of her arm and ignoring her blood caked skin, she closed her eyes and blacked out. 

Punch

“Hey, Nami,” Danni started, startling both the girl and the doctor. Nami looked at her in silent question and the older woman grinned. “Mind if I get a tattoo with you?”  


Nami gaped at her, “What? Why would you want to do that?” Danni rolled her eyes and punched the girl on the head lightly.  


“Brat,” she muttered fondly. “I figured we should do something together, since we never took baths together. I’ve been meaning to get a tattoo anyways. It’ll be a bonding thing, yeah?” Nami stared at her with wide eyes, clutching her head, and Danni grinned, “Since we’re nakama and all.”  


Nami swallowed, before she crafted her face into an imperious look, “I’m not paying for you!” Danni laughed, throwing her head back. Nami didn’t say anything when Danni’s tattoo looked like a stylized smoking bullet, and Danni didn’t say anything when Nami’s tattoo looked like a stylized windmill with a tangerine.

Tight

“Hmm, they’re a bit too tight,” Danni muttered, adjusting the gloves on her hand while frowning slightly. With a sigh she tugged them off and smiled apologetically at the shop owner. 

“Sorry, but I don’t think I’m going to buy anything,” she apologized, bowing slightly as she gave the gloves back.  


The shopkeeper smiled and waved his hand, “Not to worry, dear. However, seeing your gun there, you might want to check out the gun shop across the way.”  


Danni straightened and nodded her head. “Thank you,” she said, before leaving the shop and heading off to look for said gun shop. She needed to stock up on bullets and get a new care kit for her rifle, and since she was there she’d pick up some supplies for the cannons. She wondered how the others were doing.

Low

She ducked low into an alley, sighing at the sight of the marines rushing about shouting. Luffy apparently created a ruckus and now they had marines chasing after them. How lovely. Ignoring the rain pounding on her, she rushed down the alley and made her way to the docks. She had faith that he nakama would make it to the ship. 

Health

Danni coughed violently, gasping wetly as she tried to breath. The shower water pounded her back as she hunched over, covering her mouth and coughs shaking her body. Slowly, the coughs began to dwindle and she carefully straightened her body, staring down at her blood stained palms blankly, even as the water washed it all away.  


Her health was getting worse.  


The storm they had left in from Loguetown had definitely not helped, and she was pretty sure she had a mild cold, but with her illness it was a bit more serious. She could have possibly lost a year with it. Sighing, she quickly finished her shower and headed up to the deck, towel around her shoulders, and hair tumbling down her back in a mess of waves.  


Luffy was sitting on the railing of the upper deck, while Zoro was fast asleep against the mast. Nami was probably in her room, Sanji in the kitchen, and who knew where Usopp was. 

Danni made her way up to her captain, running her fingers through her hair to get some of the tangles out. Luffy glanced over at her when she leaned against the railing next to him, and frowned.  


“Are you okay, Danni?” the teen asked, eyes sharp and probing.  


She winced and gave him a small smile, shaking her head slightly, “Nothing you can help with, Luffy.” The rubber man frowned, pursing his lips, but let it go, his face returning to his usual smile. “Just find a good doctor soon, kay?” she added, not looking at her captain.  


Luffy nodded firmly, “Un!”

Older

“You have about five years left, girl,” the older man told her gently, careful to keep his voice quiet to avoid being heard by the rest of the crew, as per her request.  


Danni sighed, running a hand down her face tiredly. “I was afraid of that,” she muttered, before giving the doctor a smile, “Thank you, Crocus-san.” The man watched her return to her crew with a small frown. If he had the time and resources he could probably find a way to lengthen the girl’s life by quite a few years, but he had neither.  


“Explains why that brat immediately asked if I could be his doctor when he found out I was one,” he muttered to himself, shaking his head. There wasn’t anything he could do. He wondered what had caused her to become a pirate though, knowing that the more she over worked her body the less time she had to live.

Vital

“You guys had a lot of fun while we were asleep,” Danni laughed, following behind her captain easily, as the boy dragged Sanji (by his leg) and Usopp (by his nose) behind him.  


Luffy huffed, “It wasn’t all fun! They blew up that curly haired guy!” Danni hummed, and hopped onto the ship as they reached it, Luffy following behind her. She glanced over at Vivi, the apparently princess of Alabasta, and raised an eyebrow. The girl was the one from earlier that had tried to kill Laboon.  


She shrugged and ignored it. The information wasn’t vital to their survival, so what did she care? She was startled from her thoughts as she helped sail the ship at the appearance of a stranger on the ship. She looked over at the dark haired woman with a western hat on her head and lips curled in a mysterious smile.  


Danni furrowed her brow at the woman, trying to figure out the mixed signals she was getting from Ms. All Sunday. She stayed silent, letting her crew do all the talking and smiled slightly when Luffy crushed the Eternal Pose with his fist. “You don’t have a right to decide our route!” the captain exclaimed, face fierce.  


“Really?” Ms. All Sunday responded lightly, a smirk curling her lips. “That’s a pity.” The woman swung off her perch on the railing and cocked her hip out, placing a hand on it as she did so. “I don’t mind a person with a great spirit like you,” she said with a quiet laugh and enigmatic smile. “If you’re lucky, we’ll meet again.”  


Danni eyed the direction the woman left in, head cocked to the side. “I don’t know what that woman is thinking...,” Vivi murmured, eyes wide and fingers curling into fists.  


“Hmm, I don’t think anyone rightly does,” Danni responded, speaking to the girl for the first time. “I don’t think she’s really good or bad.”  


Nami shook her head, “Well, it doesn’t matter. Don’t think about that.”  


Zoro grunted, arms crossed over his chest and leaning against the mast, “There is one person like that on our ship, too.” His eyes flicked over to Luffy, who remained oblivious, and Danni smirked, shaking her head. She supposed they did have a person like that on their own ship.

Dangerous

Danni yawned as she stepped out on deck, shading her eyes from the sun as she did so. She paused and raised an eyebrow when she saw a deserted ship. “Eh? Where is everyone?” she muttered, looking around.  


“Ah! Danni-chan!” Sanji called, swinging down from the upper deck with a bright smile.  


She blinked at him and gave a smile in return, asking, “Where is everyone? They didn’t just leave you to watch the ship did they?” Sanji shook his head a slightly worried look crossing his face. The two met on the middle of the deck and Danni crossed her arms waiting for the blonde chef to talk.  


“I’ve been waiting for them for awhile, but nobody’s shown up,” he explained. “There must be something wrong.” Danni frowned, a dangerous look clouding her face.  


“We’d better look for them, then,” the older woman said grimly, shouldering her rifle and heading for the edge of the ship so she could jump down. Sanji followed after her with hearts in his eyes. Eventually the two of them commandeered a tiger to ride and stumbled across a rather strange house. Danni raised an eyebrow, hopping off the tiger and touching the house carefully. “It’s...made of wax?”

Fever

Danni frowned, looking sharply over at Nami when she heard the distinct sound of a hitch in breath. She was next to the younger girl in an instant, pressing her hand to the girl’s forehead. “Damnit!” she cursed, scooping the girl up into her arms, just as she fainted, cheeks a bright red with fever. “You stupid girl!”  


Danni headed for the girl’s room, shouting, “Luffy, get your ass in here now! Nami’s sick!” There was a rush that Danni ignored easily as she tucked Nami into her bed tightly, and felt her forehead, cursing again when it came back scorching. She thanked Vivi when the girl handed her a damp cloth, a bucket of cold water next to her.  


“We need to find a doctor,” she muttered. “Soon.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ATTEMPTED RAPE AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THIS SEGMENT.  
> I have it marked where it shows up, so you've been warned.

Bare

“If we don’t go to the mountain, we can’t see the doctor,” Luffy said, staring straight at Nami as he hovered over her dazed form. “Let’s go hiking.”  


“Don’t be stupid!” Sanji exclaimed. “You’re gonna take Nami-san on a hike?” Danni stayed silent, looking out the window and up at the mountain, tugging the panda beanie she was wearing (Luffy had given it to her) down slightly, shadowing her eyes.  


“It’s okay. I can carry her,” Luffy responded seriously, staring at them blankly.  


Vivi gaped at him and shouted, “But it can make her worse!”  


Luffy frowned at her, “What? I’ll take her to the doctor, and then she’ll get better soon.” Danni moved over to Nami’s side, brushing the younger girl’s hair back and away from her sweaty forehead, frowning in concern. She ignored the one sided arguing between Vivi and Luffy, rubbing soothing circles across Nami’s bare forehead with her thumbs.  


Nami laughed suddenly, and Danni scooted over as Luffy instantly made his way over. “I’ll leave it to you now, captain,” the navigator said, holding a hand up weakly.  


Luffy grinned and clapped their hands together, much gentler than he would have normally, “That’s right! Just trust me!”  


Danni smiled when Nami caught her eye, and then said, “I’ll be going with you, Luffy.” Her captain grinned at her and nodded in acceptance to the statement. He wasn’t going to object, because he wanted her to see the doctor too, even though Nami was more immediate.

Pretend

“Luffy, give me Sanji,” Danni said quietly, ignoring the rapidly growing pain in her chest. Luffy stared at her with narrowed eyes, and she stared back determinedly. Finally, he nodded and handed the blonde over to her. She grunted at the weight, but swiftly tied the blonde to her back, before following her captain up.  


She ignored the pain in her chest and the fact that her fingers were becoming raw and bleeding, pretending it didn’t exist. She would make it to the top. She had too. She didn’t want her nakama to die. She wouldn’t let that happen. Gritting her teeth she dug her fingers and toes into the mountain and continued to climb.

Energy

“My, my,” Danni chuckled, sitting up in bed slowly. “Everyone has so much energy for being injured.” Luffy laughed from where he was sitting on a stool next to her bed. Danni smiled back in response, before she gently heaved herself up and onto the edge of the bed.  


“I got us a new crewmember!” Luffy exclaimed happily. “He’s a doctor!” Before Danni could respond, the door opened and a fuzzy face appeared around the door. “Chopper! Come meet our Gunner!” Luffy cheered, stretching his arms out and grabbing the reindeer, who shouted and struggled as he was pulled in.  


Danni smiled at the reindeer, “It’s nice to meet you, Doctor Chopper.” Chopper frowned at her, ceasing his struggling. He clambered up onto the bed next to her and stared at her intensely.  


“You’re sick,” he stated. Danni gave a sad smile in reply. He frowned and pulled out a stethoscope before proceeding to do an in depth examination. Luffy stayed silent, watching with a for once serious face. “I can’t cure it, but I can extend your life for a few more years. Right now, you only have about 4 and half years left,” Chopper finally said as he sat back, finished with his examination.  


Danni sighed, rubbing the back of her neck, “I knew that trip through the snow had shaved some time off.” Luffy frowned at that, and Chopper was rifling through his medical bag, before he pulled out a bottle filled with a bright red liquid.  


“You’ll have to take a tablespoon of this every six months,” Chopper said sternly, pressing the bottle in the woman’s hand. “It won’t cure you, but it will help strengthen your body and combat the disease, adding a few more years to your life. The more often you overwork your body, the more often you’ll have to take it.”  


Danni smiled and hugged the reindeer, “Thank you, Doctor Chopper, but can you do me a favor?” She let go of the blushing doctor and looked him in the eye. “Don’t let the other’s know I’m sick? I want them to have fond memories of me, not ones where they’re constantly worrying when I’m going to die. Right now, only Luffy, Zoro, and you know I’m sick. I’d like to keep it that way.”  


Chopper frowned and glanced over at Luffy, who nodded, and the reindeer locked gazes with the Gunner and nodded firmly, “I will do as you ask.”

Disaster

“So tie them on tight,” Zoro instructed as he tied the knot around his left wrist. “Our enemies have plenty of mysteries.”  


Vivi smirked as she tied the bandage around Nami’s forearm, “I see.” Danni stayed silent as she tied her own bandage around her wrist, watching Chopper tie Luffy’s around his wrist as well from the corner of her eye. She hadn’t been on deck when Mr. 2 had shown up and done his stuff, but Luffy didn’t seem too worried about the problem.  


However, Danni had come to expect disaster wherever her captain went.  


“As long as we can see these, we don’t need to doubt one another,” Nami said, her own smirk pulling her lips.  


Sanji furrowed his brow as he tied the knot off with his teeth, and asked, “Does he really look like us that much? When he does his Mane Mane fruit thing?”  


Usopp shook his head, waving his hands around, “He doesn’t look like us, he is us.” When Sanji growled something about not being interested in Okamas, the sharpshooter added with a grin, “Too bad, you really should have seen it!”  


“Now that we know he’s among the enemy, we can’t allow for any careless individual actions!” Zoro said, bumping his fist against his own bandaged arm. Danni cocked an eyebrow and wondered just who Zoro was talking about in that specific remark.  


Shaking her head, she headed over to where Chopper was asking Usopp what he should do, and the teen was no doubt giving some odd answer to the poor reindeer. “--away from any enemies you can’t beat!! Just do your best!” the sharpshooter was saying, clenching his fists up in front of him and baring his teeth.  


Sanji scoffed, “You’re just telling that to yourself!” Carue let out a quack of agreement.  


“What I can do...,” Chopper repeated, before nodding firmly. “Got it!”  


Danni shook her head and bopped both sniper and doctor on the heads lightly. “Trust in your nakama to pick up the slack of what you can’t do, brats,” Danni said, raising an eyebrow at the both of them pointedly. Usopp blushed and chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck, while Chopper blinked up at her in astonishment.  


“Okay!” Luffy suddenly exclaimed, jumping to the middle of the deck with a wide smile and holding his left arm out, fist clenched. “Whatever happens from now on, this left arm...” Everyone joined him in a tight circle, holding their left fists out (or hoof and wing for Chopper and Carue respectively). “Is proof of our friendship!”

Blush

“What did you get from your brother?”  


Luffy shrugged, “I don’t know. It’s a scrap of paper.” He handed both paper and hat over to Nami, along with a sewing needle and thread.  


“What does it mean?”  


Luffy shrugged again, “I dunno, but Ace told me to hold onto it, so I’m gonna hold onto it! So sew it in there tight!”  


Nami nodded and started sewing the paper into Luffy’s hat with a muttered, “Behind the ribbon...got’cha.” Danni shifted uncomfortably next to her captain, biting her cheek to refrain from throwing herself at Sanji and strangling the blonde chef. So far, Luffy hadn’t even noticed what the girl’s were wearing, but Danni had the suspicion that the boy was asexual and completely not interested, unlike certain other perverted members of the crew. She knew she should have gone with the cook when he went to get their clothes to blend in.  


Nami handed the hat back to her captain, and the teen plopped it on his head with a large grin, “Thanks, Nami! Now I don’t have to worry about it! I’ll never lose it.”  


Usopp looked at his captain with a raised eyebrow, “How do you know that?” The question was ignored, and Vivi came out, holding a pile of neatly folded clothes in her arms.  


She smiled and held them out to Luffy, “Wear this, Luffy-san!”  


Luffy blinked at her in confusion, “Huh? Why? It’s hot!” Danni scowled at the reminder, tugging on the thick rope of braid that was her hair irritably.  


Vivi smiled patiently and explained, “You wear it because it’s hot. The desert gets over 50 C, so you’ll get sunburned if your skin is exposed.”  


Luffy looked even more confused as he glanced first at Vivi, then at Nami, and then finally Danni, who had her arms crossed in front of herself defensively, showing a lot more skin then the boy had ever seen since he met her. “Why are your clothes so skimpy then?” he asked, a flash of concern crossing his face.  


Danni’s cheeks flushed in a bright red blush, squirming in place as her captain kept staring at her. Blatantly. It wasn’t in a sexualized way at all; he was just genuinely confused at the amount of skin she was showing. Normally, the only skin you saw were her shoulders, arms, neck and face. Everything else was covered by her clothes. “We’re going to wear coats, too,” Nami explained, staring at Luffy and Danni in amusement, though she wondered why the older woman was so embarrassed.  


She looked good in the outfit with her trim waist and large hips. Along with her naturally pale skin, and dark locks, she looked rather exotic in the deep red and purple dancer outfit. The glimpses caught of her legs were striking, especially when you caught a flash of the tattoo on her upper thigh.  


Said view was shown clearly when Sanji yelled, eyes bulging, “What!? You’re gonna wear those!?” and Danni’s face darkened before she lashed out with her leg and slammed it into the perverted cook’s stomach.

Back

Danni’s hand gripped the back of Zoro’s jacket before she even realized what she was doing. Her fingers tightened, even when the swordsman turned to her with a questioning look. She shook her head, lips pursed together tightly and brow furrowed deeply. Zoro looked at her with narrowed eyes, before he tugged her forward, unlatching her fingers in the process.  
She looked at him in faint confusion, trying to fight the sudden pit in her stomach and the way the world was tilted slightly. “Sleep, woman,” Zoro grunted, returning to his lifting of the camel on his sword. “And stop your worrying.”  


Danni didn’t say anything, as she curled around her rifle and slumped against the swordsman’s side. She didn’t fall asleep though, merely closing her eyes and listening to Usopp’s crazy stories he was telling Chopper. Luffy would be fine. He just had to be.  


The thought didn’t stop the sickening feeling she was getting in the pit of her stomach and the sense that something terribly wrong had just happened.

Remain

Danni couldn’t help but stare.  


She would take the rather...interesting outfit of the okama to this...thing. The woman (Miss Easter, she had introduced herself as) had long florescent blue hair done up in twin ringlets with bright pink bunny ears pinned on top of her head. She was dressed in a jarring shade of yellow, foofy dress, that had an excessive amount of bright, almost neon pink ribbons. Her tights were a mixture of swirling pastel colors (a meager comfort) and her shoes had large, obnoxious bows on top of them.  


Danni wanted to cry. She knew she should have remained behind, and let Usopp follow the girl. This was just cruel and unusual torture.  


The kicker was the bright pink bunny tail and the bright green basket filled with a bunch of colorful eggs.  


She liked birds. She could have fought the swan, but no she had to follow the girl and get stuck with a rabbit. They were evil. Pure evil. (As opposed to bunnies were as adorable as they were vicious and great cuddle buddies.) Maybe she could turn back and trade.  


“Heyy! Don’t ignore me!” Miss Easter shrilled, making Danni wince and glare viciously at the other girl. Danni barely had time to leap out of the way when the blue haired girl threw one of the colorfully painted eggs at her. She had been lucky the first time one of those things had been tossed at her and she hit it with her rifle.  


She wasn’t putting her baby threw that ever again.  


An explosion ripped through the spot she had just been, and the force of it pushed against her back and sent her flying further away. Why did she always get the opponents with bombs? Danni whined to herself as she fell into a roll, hiding inside an alley and trying to catch her breath.

Collide

Danni panted harshly, cussing under her breath as she ran. “How pathetic, you are,” Miss Easter tittered, tapping her foot against the ground and giggling as she bounced up and over Danni, landing right in front of the woman, who skidded to a stop before they could collide. The blue haired girl hummed cheerfully, a smile on her painted face as she swung the basket in her hands idly. “Why do you still fight? Your captain’s dead by now,” she asked, fluttering her eyelashes and smiling like she was talking about cake.  


Danni snarled, anger rising up inside her. “My captain isn’t dead,” she growled, swinging her rifle at the other woman as she lurched forward, hair whipping out behind her. Miss Easter’s eyes widened and the basket was knocked out of her hands and into the air as the butt of the rifle slammed into her stomach. Hands clamped around the gun and it was ripped from Danni’s hands and thrown up in the air, following the basket full of bombs.  


Danni’s head shot up to follow her precious rifle and she could only stare with wide eyes as it hit the basket and a series of explosions set off, lighting up the sky like some sort of sick firework. She only had time to see her rifle, charred and smoking, begin to fall before feet were planted in her stomach and she was kicked away and into a building. Danni heard the faint clatter of her rifle hit the ground and coughed harshly as her stomach throbbed viciously. She spat out the glob of blood that came up, and slowly pulled herself out of the rubble she found herself in.

Weapon

Danni was officially pissed off. First, the girl dares to say her captain’s dead. Then, she dares to toss her rifle up into an explosion. And now, now she was insulting her crew. “--and now they’re all dead! Where does that leave you? Alone and without a weapon? Completely defenseless,” Miss Easter cooed, cheerful smile still in place as it had been since the beginning. Danni was going to wipe that sickening smile off her painted face.  


The Gunner straightened, ignoring her throbbing ribs and stomach and the blood dripping down her back from a rather nasty gash (received from a razor sharp boomerang). She was easily taller than the very much petite girl, and looked down her nose at the girl, eyes narrowed and flashing dangerously. “My crew is better than that,” she hissed venomously, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and smearing blood all along it. “We won’t die.”  


With that said she cracked her knuckles and fell into a stance that spoke of years of usage. She breathed in deeply, rocking her body slightly, and said, “And I’m not defenseless.” She lashed out forward, swinging her fist, and Miss Easter leaned back to avoid it, but missed the leg that came up subsequently and hooked around her knees. Her eyes widened as her feet were knocked out from under her, and she hit the ground unable to dodge the next hit that slammed into her knee. There was sickening crack that split the air and she cried out in pain.

Tide

The tide had completely turned. With her shattered kneecap, the woman wasn’t able to bounce around like she had been, the only reason Danni hadn’t been able to hit her, coupled with the flying egg bombs.  


Miss Easter scowled and struggled under the body on top of her. Danni had the woman’s hands clutched in one hand, while she ripped out the various ribbons of the garish outfit out to tie said hands up with her other one. Danni’s hair tie had been snapped and her dark locks were curtaining their heads from view, as she tore a ribbon in half with her teeth.  


There was a sharp whistle of slicing wind, and Danni’s eyes widened, while Miss Easter grinned gleefully, renewing her struggles. Danni twisted her torso sharply, keeping one hand on the bound wrists of her opponent, and lashed out with her own hand to catch the boomerang heading straight for her. She bit back a scream of pain as the weapon sliced into her hand, tears threatening to spill over and her breath hitching.  


Miss Easter was gaping at her, forgetting to struggle as she stared at the older woman stupidly. “Are you stupid!?” she screeched. “That could have taken you hand off!”  


Danni snorted, tossing the weapon sharply down next to the blunette’s head, cutting off whatever she would have screeched next. “You don’t think I know that? Stupid girl,” she sneered, before tying the wrists together and slamming her elbow on the girl’s temple, knocking her out completely. She clambered off the girl, staggering to her feet and hissing as her hand throbbed painfully, blood splashing to the ground.  


Her palm was a mangled mess and she definitely wouldn’t be using that hand for a while. Her chest was pain free though which was a relief, since that meant she wasn’t going to have an attack anytime soon. But she was bruised, had a nasty gash on her back and another one on her leg, and she was tired. Ignoring it for now, she went to go look for the others after she found her rifle.  


They weren’t finished quite yet.

Done

Danni curled up in the bed in a tight ball, muffling her light coughs with her hands. They were done. No more fighting until they left. She was glad. Vivi saved her country, and everyone was alive. Sighing, she closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep, not seeing the worried eyes of Chopper watching her from another bed.

Snore

Danni stayed by Luffy’s side the entire time he was asleep, curling up on the floor next to the head of the bed and cleaning her rifle. Zoro was the only one who didn’t try to make her leave, even when she stayed there curled up during the night. He merely tucked another blanket around her, when he found there again after he came back in the dead of night.  


Sometimes he would join her on the floor and sleep.  


Danni appreciated it because then she was surrounded by the familiar snores of her two crewmates, and she could relax knowing they were alive and okay. When Luffy finally woke up, and found Danni curled up next to his bed, fast asleep, despite the early hour, he grinned widely and patted her head, rousing her from her nap. “Danni! I’m hungry!”  


The woman blinked at him blearily for a second before she laughed loudly, easily silencing the rest of the crew and guests in the room as they turned to look at her. 

Deceit

“Oh, if it’s like that, then there is nothing I can do,” Luffy stated. “It’s okay.” Danni sat next to Chopper on the stairs, chin in hand and grinning. Luffy laughed, smiling widely and responded to the outraged cries of Zoro, Nami, and Usopp, “Don’t worry! She’s not as bad as you all think!”  


While Chopper and Luffy were occupied by Robin’s arms sprouting from the deck of the ship, Danni sat at the table with Usopp and Robin, while the sniper “interrogated” the stowaway turned crewmember. She listened and watched the older woman, taking note that the woman wasn’t lying, though she was withholding some information, but it wasn’t like everyone knew everyone’s entire back story, so.  


She was pulled away from her musings by Usopp yelling, and she chuckled quietly, leaning back in her chair. Nami was easily swayed over by jewels (but not really), and Danni shot a glance at Zoro, who was watching from the upper deck with a dark frown. She knew he was thinking that Robin was being deceitful and planning something, but Danni knew that the woman honestly wasn’t a bad person. “Robin-san,” Danni said, making the woman pause in her motions to get up and go up to the upper deck, no doubt to talk to Zoro. Danni smiled at her and continued, now that she had her attention, “Welcome to the crew.” The older woman’s eyes widened for the briefest moments, but it was gone before she could really notice it.

 

WARNING: ATTEMPTED RAPE.

xxx

Indirect

“Seems like there are all kinds of people here!” Luffy grinned, holding his hat on his head with one hand to keep it from flying off in the wind.  
Zoro grinned, following his captain, “Looks like a fun city to me.” Danni hummed cheerfully from her spot in between the two boys, stretching languidly.  


“Let’s drink some alcohol~, yeah?” the woman cheered, face stretched in a grin. Luffy laughed loudly, while Zoro agreed with the sentiment.  


Nami frowned; sweat dripping from her face as she watched her three crewmates off the ship. “It just can’t be done,” she said flatly. “It’s impossible for those three not to cause trouble.” Before, Usopp would have stared at her incredulously for including Danni in that sentence, but he had seen firsthand the damage those three could create together.  


“Yeah...,” the sniper agreed, sweat dropping. “This city has enough trouble brewing already. Absolutely impossible.” Chopper blinked in confusion. Wouldn’t Danni corral Zoro and Luffy’s tendencies to create insanity?  


Nami stood up, “In that case, I can’t allow them to enter the city!” With that she leapt over the railing, and chased after her three wayward, destructive crewmates.  


Chopper turned to Usopp and asked, “Why is Nami going after them? Won’t Danni keep them out of trouble?”  


Usopp shook his head almost frantically, “No. She makes it worse, whether directly or indirectly. Those three together are a walking natural disaster.” Chopper stared. Danni helped with the chaos Luffy and Zoro brought?

Haze

“Hmm...So you’re the 30 million bounty boy...?” Bellamy asked, a wide grin stretched across his face. “Straw-Hat Luffy.”  


Danni blinked, leaning back against the bar and taking another swing from the bottle of alcohol in her hand. Luffy stared at the other man, asking, “What is it?”  


Zoro raised an eyebrow and said, taking a sip of his own alcohol, “Someone is looking for you, Luffy.” Danni snickered, shifting her rifle so that it wasn’t leaning against the bar anymore and instead was resting in the crook of her arm and between her legs.  


Nami glanced over her shoulder and muttered, “Isn’t Bellamy the name of the guy who reserved the hotel?” She kept a wary eye on Danni, whose smile had vanished at the disbelieving mutters of the other pirates in the room about Luffy’s bounty.  


Luffy paid it no heed though, staring up at Bellamy, who had made his way over so that he stood next to the captain, a grin on his face. “The people I’ve met today have been huge!” Danni rolled her eyes at this, but sent a narrowed eyed glare at the patrons of the bar, taking another drink of her alcohol.  


“Give me a glass of your best wine, and give the kid whatever he wants,” Bellamy said, grin still on his face. The bartender raised an eyebrow but nodded and went about doing what was asked. Danni frowned, Bellamy now blocking her sight of her captain. She narrowed her eyes and gripped her rifle with one hand, flipping it so that the butt of the gun now rested on her shoulder.  


“Here, let’s drink.”  


Luffy took the drink, smiling widely, “Ah, thanks!” He laughed, lifting the mug up to drink, “You’re a good guy after all.”  


Danni scowled immediately flipping her rifle again when the man raised his hand and slammed it against the back of Luffy’s head, smashing him into the bar, and utterly destroying it, sending wood everywhere. She had the muzzle pointed at Bellamy’s head instantly, a haze of red overriding her vision, her finger hovering over the trigger. Zoro had his blade out and hovering over the other pirate’s neck.  


“What are you going to do?” Bellamy jeered, a wicked grin across his face. “Stick boy!”  


Zoro glowered darkly and responded, “That question should be for you to answer.”  


Danni gritted her teeth, her finger twitching towards the trigger, and Nami stuttered out, “Zoro, Danni, wait! We haven’t found any information yet!”  


“Nami, shut it!” Danni snarled uncharacteristically, finally gaining the attention of Bellamy, who hadn’t realized she had been with them and had a gun pointed at him. “Or I will pull this trigger.” She glared at Bellamy viciously, rage at the unwarranted attack on her captain nearing its boiling point. Nami flinched back, biting her lip.  


Luffy stood up slowly, and Bellamy laughed, ignoring both sword and gun pointed at him, “Hmm? You can still stand?” 

Bleeding

Bellamy suddenly laughed loudly and Luffy simply stared at him. “I can’t believe this. I was gonna test you to see if I’d let you join my crew of the “new era”, but you’re just a crazy dreamer,” Bellamy said, lips stretched into a mocking grin. Danni twitched, her fingers itching to grab her rifle and just blow the stupid man’s brains out, but Luffy merely cocked his head to the side and continued to stare at the now ranting pirate.  


“Listen up! The pirate’s dream era is over! The lost city of gold? The emerald city? The great treasure “One Piece”? The fools who go after their “dream treasure” cannot notice what’s too bad in front of them! In this era of the sea, the ones who don’t have real strength, are the ones that are killed by their own imaginations! In the end, this is how the people will judge the idiots that died--This guy lived his dream, very admirable--Hah! What a joke!”  


Luffy continued to just stare at Bellamy, and Danni felt her rage disappear. She swung her rifle over her back and crossed her arms, not even flinching when the scarred pirate smashed a bottle over Luffy’s head, yelling, “Whenever I see those idiots who chase their dreams, IT MAKES MY STOMACH CRINGE!” Nami cried out, but Luffy merely stayed on the floor sprawled out, expression never changing.  


“It’s all because of wimps like you, that we pirates get such a bad rep,” Bellamy snarled tossing a glass at Luffy, where it crashed next to the boy’s head. The rest of the patrons of the bar began to jeer at the four of them, chucking various tankards of alcohol at them. Danni didn’t even flinch when a glass shattered on her shoulder, cutting into her flesh. She ignored the bleeding wound, merely watching her captain.  


Sarquiss laughed loudly, face stretched in a blood thirsty smile, “Hah! Hey, Bellamy! The paying customers want to see a show!”  


Bellamy grinned widely, sticking his tongue out, “Haha! Piece of cake, I’d be happy to!” Danni wrinkled her nose in disgust at the display, turning her eyes away from the man and looking at her captain instead.  


Luffy was sitting up, and Nami said irritably, fists clenched, “Luffy! Zoro! Danni! Forget the promise! Just kick his ass!”  


Luffy ignored her, face dead serious as he turned to his two first crewmembers, “Zoro...Danni...whatever you do...,” Danni looked at him silently, tapping her fingers against her arm, while Zoro stared, waiting for the order. “Don’t fight against them.”

Try Again

Danni stood up again, readying her rifle up like a bat. She curled her lip at Bellamy and spat, “Try again.” Cricket and the other two monkeys were lying on the floor, broken and bleeding. She wasn’t much better, but she wasn’t about to let the moron who had attacked her captain unprovoked get away with stealing these men’s precious items.  


Bellamy scowled at her, cracking his knuckles menacingly. “I didn’t want to have to use this on someone as pitiful as you but I guess you leave me no choice,” he sneered. Danni glowered at him, firming her stance, she wasn’t going to go down without a fight. However, before she could attack, something hit the back of her neck and her vision went black.  


Bellamy raised an eyebrow at his crewmate, who shrugged, the unconscious woman in his arms, “I want to have some fun with her.” This was said with a leer and Bellamy scoffed and waved his hand, turning around and heading back for his ship, his crew stealing the gold treasures and dumping the three men into the ocean.

 

“I can’t find Danni!” Nami shouted, pulling herself out of the water. Cricket coughed, and Luffy was there immediately. “Sorry...,” Cricket coughed, blood spilling from his mouth.  


“Ah! Mister! Hey, mister, you awake?” Luffy asked, glancing over a Nami briefly to let her know he had her announcement about their missing crewmate.  


“Really...sorry...,” Cricket coughed again, his breathing ragged. “We tried to...but she...couldn’t help! But...there’s still time...!”  


Luffy frowned, “Wait, mister! You have to tell me what happened! Where’s Danni!?”  


Cricket slowly sat up, coughing even more, “I don’t know where she is. She was probably taken by that man! But, you guys caught a South bird...”  


Before he could speak further, Nami rushed out of the house, “Luffy!” The teen turned to her, brow furrowed. “Danni’s not here! And neither is the gold!”  


Luffy’s eyes went cold, and Nami gulped. “Hey, Luffy,” Zoro called, lips turned down in a dark frown and thumb pointed at a mark on a tree. “Look.”  


“It’s Bellamy’s symbol!” Nami cried out, eyes wide.  


Zoro looked at his captain and asked, “Want my help?”  


Luffy shook his head, “No. I can do it alone.” He then turned to his crew, face serious and rather ominous, “Guys. Stay here and help with the ship. I’m going to get Danni and the gold.” He then turned to Robin and asked, “If I run along the beach, I can reach that city we were in, right?”  


Robin nodded, “Yes. You can.”  


Luffy nodded sharply, expression dark, “I will be back before dawn.”

Reap

“BIG DISCOVERY! That person who was here during the day will soon--Ah!” the pirate cut off abruptly and then exclaimed, “Bellamy! You’re still here!?” The pirate caught sight of Danni, who was cuffed and sitting in the man who had knocked her out lap. Her face was completely blank and there was large bruise forming on her cheek. Her shirt had been ripped off and she was left in only her bra, the man’s hand resting on one of her breasts.  


The pirate who had barged in gaped and then shouted, “You should run away now!! You...will get killed! You and you (he pointed at the man who Danni was sitting on) are in the most danger!!” The man holding onto Danni, ignored the man, sliding one hand down Danni’s side and reaching for her the button of her shorts.  


His hand was stopped though, by the proclamation of Luffy’s bounty being 100 million and Zoro’s being 60 million. Danni barked out a loud laugh, shattering the stunned silence. Everyone stared at her in shock, and she leered at all of them, eyes glittering maliciously, “You all are about to reap what you sowed.” Everyone immediately started panicking, especially when the man holding her twisted her around and backhanded her harshly.  


Her head snapped to the side, and the two were ignored by everyone as Bellamy made some speech about being afraid of a piece of paper. She slowly turned her head back, a dark glare on her face. He sneered at her and growled, “I never gave you permission to speak, whore.”  


She spat at him and growled, “Go to hell.”

Settle

Luffy glared at the surrounding pirates, ready to settle this entire thing. “Give me my Gunner and the gold,” he demanded coldly. There was a beat of silence before all of them ran away screaming. Luffy scowled at them and headed for the bar that Bellamy had exited from. When he entered the now mostly deserted bar, he was greeted with a sight that made his blood boil.  


Danni was on the ground, struggling violently, but futilely, her hands bound behind her back and her legs pinned by the male body pressed against her. A gag was in her mouth, and she was turning her head away from the man above her, whose hands were roaming all over her body. Luffy roared and leapt at the man, bowling him over easily and punching him repeatedly. “Never. Touch. My. Gunner!” Each word was punctuated with a vicious punch, and it wasn’t long before the man was out like a light.  


The dark haired teen panted, body tense as he stood and made his way over to Danni, who had managed to prop herself up, looking at him with stunned eyes. Not because of what he had done, but because of what had almost happened to her, if her captain hadn’t appeared. Luffy fell to his knees in front of her, frowning and gently untied the gag, before removing the handcuffs. “Danni,” he started, but stopped, and instead merely picked her up, found the gold and left back for the ship. Danni simply buried her face in Luffy’s neck and clung to him.

Treat

Chopper treated Danni’s wounds quietly, rubbing the bruise salve on her cheek gently. The woman didn’t say anything either, but Chopper wondered what had happened to her exactly. Luffy had been near murderous when he had come back, though he had pushed it away in the excitement of heading for Sky Island. Also, for Danni’s benefit, Chopper thought to himself. Danni had relaxed almost immediately after Luffy’s excitement.  


Sanji had taken one look at Danni’s state of undress, and had headed straight for the kitchen muttering something about a nice treat for Danni-chan. Zoro’s face had gone stone like, and Nami had paled and looked ready to faint. Usopp had started to spin some tale about how he had defeated a group of large, hairy men with only a rubber band and a coin and the use of numerous clowns that had been in town. Robin had vanished into her room upon seeing Danni.  


“Danni,” Chopper started, getting the woman’s attention immediately. “What happened?”  


She stared at him for a long moment, before smiling and shaking her head, “Nothing you should hear yet, Doctor Chopper.” The reindeer blinked up at her in confusion, and he looked so innocent; Danni didn’t want to ruin it by trying to explain the nature of the attack she had experienced. He finished his treatment and reminded her to take her medicine, before they both headed to the deck, just in time for the announcement that they reached the Knock Up Stream.

xxx

FOXGEISHA: Yes, Danni almost got raped. Because she was caught by surprise, she wasn’t able to escape, and any attempt was met with violence, so she opted to bide her time until one of her crew arrived. The man who tried to rape her thought that Bellamy would win, so while everyone else went out to watch the fight, he thought he would try to get some.  
Danni’s going to be a bit clingy for a while, but it won’t affect her performance on Sky Island, most of the trauma will be pushed away until after the Sky Island adventure, and many Nakama feelings will happen.  


The reason for Chopper not realizing exactly what Danni went through is because as a reindeer turned human (mostly), he doesn’t know about that side of humans, and it never came up in his studies or learning, so he never learned to look for the signs. He realizes that Danni went through something traumatic, but not what. He also knows it’s serious, because of everyone’s reactions.  


I apologize if this type of thing happening makes Danni seem like a mary sue, that isn’t my intention. This also isn’t some plot device; in the grand scheme of things, it’s a very small happening, and allows the crew to bond on a deeper level. I’m not saying rape is a small thing; it’s a very big thing, and a very bad thing.


	4. Chapter 4

Notice

Danni noticed the change in the air instantly, struggling to breath with the lack of oxygen in the air. Her chest constricted painfully and she had difficulty moving her body. She pushed herself up in the corner next to the stairs and coughed in her hand, trying to muffle the sound. She pulled her hand away and winced upon seeing the speckles of blood dotting her palm. As much as she hated to admit it, she was useless until she got used to the atmosphere, so she was stuck watching the happenings upon their arrival.  


“If we, uhm, don’t have any money?” Nami asked tentatively; sweat dropping and holding her hands up.  


The old lady didn’t even change her expression as she responded, “You can still go up.” Usopp cried out in shock, eyes bulging, and Danni frowned, eyeing the woman shrewdly. Hidden by the staircase as she was, she hadn’t been in a position to be seen in the picture taken. The picture taking sent alarm bells ringing in her head.  


“Also,” the old lady started, a somewhat crafty smile tugging her lips. “If you don’t want to go up...it’s okay too. I’m not a guard, nor am I a soldier. I just want to know your intention.” Danni narrowed her eyes. That sounded a bit suspicious. Luffy cheered and announced they were going to Sky Island, even though they didn’t have money. “Really? Seven people right?”  


No one thought to correct the wrong number, and Danni didn’t reveal herself.

Least

“God is there?” Luffy exclaimed eyes wide and gaping. “In the place that no one should ever enter?” Danni looked up from where she had been examining a bookshelf and stared at her captain with a raised eyebrow.  


“Yes! This is ‘Godland’, and it is ruled by the almighty ‘God Enel’!” Conis responded, unsettled by the sudden excited face that Luffy had. Danni wandered over, an amused smile sliding over her face.  


Usopp noticed his captain’s excited face and grabbed the boy by the shoulders and exclaimed in panic, “Hey, Luffy! Listen to what she said!! ‘No one should ever enter’ means you can’t go no matter what!! Luffy!??”  


Luffy was grinning widely, the sniper’s words going in one ear and out the other. “Oh? Really? There’s a place no one may go?” Usopp paled at the sparkles that seemed to be emitting from the excited teen. “Yeah...? So nobody should go in no matter what...?”  


Usopp, Zoro, and Sanji sweat dropped, collectively thinking, “He’s going for sure...”  


“Oh my, that sounds like a lot of fun,” Danni chuckled as she stopped next to Luffy, her fingers absently curling around the edge of the teen’s vest.  


Luffy gave her a wide grin, unbothered by the grip, and then turned to the others and said cheerfully, “But even though it’s forbidden, God will forgive us, right? He’s really nice, right?” He handed Danni a piece of fruit from the table, eating his fish with the other hand and staring at Conis, waiting for a response.  


She sweat dropped and replied tentatively, “Ah...but breaking the rule set by God is disrespecting God...”  


Luffy blinked, “...Really?” Danni snickered, and the captain shrugged, “Oh well, it doesn’t matter.”  


Danni grinned and muttered, “No, God would be the least of your worries, wouldn’t he, Luffy?” The rubber man heard her and gave her a wide grin, eyes sparkling as he wiggled his eyebrows in response. She chuckled lightly, finishing off the fruit that had been handed to her. 

Exception

“Then, I’ll stay with Chopper,” Danni said, cupping her cheek and tilting her head slightly. The other’s blinked at her and she smiled. “It wouldn’t do to leave him defenseless after all. Besides, I can help with repairs.”  


Zoro gave her a narrowed eyed stare, but in the end shrugged his shoulders and nodded in acceptance. With that him, Nami, and Robin left, vanishing into the forest. Chopper looked up at Danni, frowning slightly when he took in her paler than normal face. “Are you okay, Danni?” he asked, placing a hoof on her knee.  


She looked down at him and smiled in reassurance, “I’m okay. It’s just taking awhile to adjust to the atmosphere.” Chopper nodded reluctantly, deciding not to point out that she was trembling faintly. If she got worse, he’d put his foot down, though, no exceptions.

Rule

Danni jolted when she smelled smoke and fire, and stumbled out of bed, grabbing her rifle and a few extra paper cartridges. She knew she was going to risk her rifle firing multiple times, but at the moment she really didn’t have a choice. She stumbled up the stairs leading to the deck, falling to the floor on one knee and readying her rifle.  


As a rule she didn’t do the sniper work with her rifle, she didn’t have the skills for it, but right now she didn’t have much options. She was taking a gamble by assuming the enemy didn’t know she existed, but right now, when her crew’s ship was burning and Chopper was trying to protect it so hard, she was willing to take that gamble.  


She aimed and fired. 

Correct

Danni’s vision was dark and her breathing ragged. She hung limply, suspended in the air by invisible strings. Blood was dripping from her skin from the cuts that had been made from the strings during her original struggle, but the blood loss had taken its toll, and she was barely hanging onto her conscious.  


She was hung like some crude version of a crucifix high above the ship, which was now heavily damage, the mast and sail gone, floating in the water. While she had been correct in the assumption that the enemy didn’t know of her existence, the surprise hadn’t helped much. She hadn’t been able to hit the man using fire at all, though she’d managed to prevent him from further damaging the ship, with his fire.  


She was vaguely aware that the Knight of the Sky had come to their rescue and she could hear them fighting below her, but she had the fearful sense that it was coming to an end. Through her muddled mind she wondered why she was feeling fear not her own. Chopper suddenly let out a loud scream and there was the sound of blood gushing. Danni struggled to open her eyes, but to no avail, and she gritted her teeth weakly in frustration.  


There was a splash and Danni felt a vague sense of panic, disbelief and fear, before a firm determination blew it all away. The Knight of the Sky’s pegasus bird thing was crying out in distress, and Shura glared down at them and said coldly, “Take that as Enel-sama’s wrath!”  


The determination Danni felt solidified and she heard Chopper cry out, “Knight of the Sky!!” Following the statement there was a loud splash and Danni felt her own panic well up. Chopper couldn’t swim! He’d drown! She forced her eyes open, trying to focus her vision, but it was stubbornly remaining blurry.  


“...Hey. Aren’t you a zoan-type devil fruit?” Shura questioned, raising an eyebrow as he stared down at the water. He snorted and then flew up behind Pierre, “Hm...You are also a zoan-type. It is quite the hindrance isn’t it?” He raised his weapon and said as he brought it down, “Won’t you go after your master?”  


There was another splash and Danni choked back a pained cry as the strings cut deeper into her skin as she moved. Her vision began to darken at the edges, and she faintly heard Shura sigh, “So boring. Men’s weakness is so irritating!” His voice was beginning to fade, but she forced herself to stay awake; she had to save Chopper! His words were muffled before eventually they faded entirely and the strings holding her collapsed.  


She had a brief moment of panic before she forced herself to calm down. Her vision cleared and she a moment to collect herself before she reached out and grabbed one of the sails, stalling her fall and she barely managed to avoid completely wrenching her arm out. With the help of the sail she managed to swing down onto the deck, landing on her butt harshly. She let out a muffled curse, before hopping to her feet unsteadily.  


Ignoring the way her vision swam, she wobbled over to the side of the boat and leaped off it and into the water.

Harm

“Let’s put out the fire that we have no use of,” Robin said. Danni glanced over at her than at her captain, before smiling slightly. “We will only expose our position to the enemy otherwise.”  


Luffy shook his head, turning to Usopp and saying, “So stupid...” Robin looked startled, and a bit hurt. “Did you hear that Usopp? She wants to put out the fire!” Danni’s smile widened and she glanced at the other woman with amused eyes. The older woman looked completely confused.  


Usopp gestured over at Robin, a stern look on his face, “Don’t say it like that! Robin has been living a dark life, so she couldn’t have known.”  


Robin furrowed her brow and asked cautiously, “Er? ...What do you mean?”  


Both boys fell to ground and shouted, “Lighting a campfire is an obvious thing, yeah? It is only a true virtue to keep the campfire up when you’re camping at night!!” If anything, Robin looked even more confused and startled.  


Nami sweat dropped, and deadpanned, “You guys are so stupid.” She placed her hands on her hips and huffed, “That’s enough!! You know very well how dangerous this forest is, no? (Luffy huffed himself and responded, “No!”) There are those priests! Plus, forests are always dangerous at night! There are beast and monsters!!”  


Chopper shrieked, and Usopp froze in his position, shivering. “Yo, Luffy!” Zoro suddenly called out, catching everyone’s attention. He waved his hand over at the large bonfire pile of wood and asked, “How’s this for a woodpile?” Sanji was leaning against it with a smirk, and a thumbs up.  


“Not you too!?” Nami shrieked.  


Sanji held up a lighted stick, smiling all the while, and ignoring the eyes of the beasts behind him in the shadows, “Don’t worry, Nami-san, those beasts are afraid of fire!” Nami shrieked, crying and holding her pale face.  


Danni threw her head back and laughed loudly, clutching her stomach and wincing in pain, but she couldn’t stop. Nami gave her a pitiful look, though there was some relief in the look as well. Danni hadn’t really laughed since Mock Town. “There’s no real harm in letting them have some fun, is there?” Danni asked, leaning back and laughter dying to stifled snickers.  


Luffy gave her a wide smile, giving his signature laugh.

Grip

“What should I do? I’m back where we were, but nobody’s here,” Robin sighed, holding a hand to her cheek. “Did I get lost?”  


“I don’t think so, since I managed to find it too,” Danni answered, rounding one of the trees and hopping over one of the roots. Robin blinked at her, and the younger woman continued as she stopped next to her, “Although, considering the others, they probably got lost.”  


Robin didn’t stop the snicker that escaped at the comment. “Then should we go ahead to the destination and wait for them there?” Robin asked.  


Danni shouldered her rifle a bit higher, placing her hands on her hips, and nodded, “Yeah. They’ll all make it there eventually. For some reason we all end up in the same place eventually.” That being said the two women headed south towards the ruins.

 

“This was probably a small rural home,” Robin murmured thoughtfully, examining the ruin amongst the roots of the trees intently.  


Danni looked at it curiously, rifle unstrapped from her back and resting across her shoulders instead, ready for any battle that might happen. Both of them had noted the sudden loss of tranquility of the forest, and Danni just knew that Luffy and Zoro were fighting. “Was it really?” she asked, peering closer at the small ruin.  


“Yes. Thankfully, it’s not too badly damaged by the forest,” Robin answered, before musing, “I wonder how the ruin at the city will hold up...”  


Danni shrugged, “By the looks of these ruins, it might not be in too bad of shape.” Robin sent her a small smile, before there was a cry that sounded like a goat and a man (she used the term here loosely) crashed on top of the ruin they had just been examining. Danni gripped her rifle and had it pointed at the person, ready to fire at a moment’s notice.  


“Women! This path leads to the God’s shrine! You may not continue forward!” he announced, and Danni raised an eyebrow coolly, noting that Robin didn’t look to happy at where he was standing. Granted she wasn’t happy either. You shouldn’t disrespect history like that!  


“Please get down from there,” Robin asked coldly, eyes narrowed. “Do you have any idea how valuable that historical remain is?” Danni stayed silent, letting Robin handle the situation how she wanted considering she was the archaeologist, but she kept her rifle trained on the weird man.  


The man sneered down at them and snapped, “You are in no position to get angry!”  


Robin raised an eyebrow at him coolly and asked, “What are you going to do about it?” She didn’t even let the man finish his exclamation of something related to God’s order or something, before she choked him with her hands, the other hands holding him down and twisting his limbs. She glared down at him and scoffed, “How ill mannered.”  


Danni snickered, “Indeed.”

Temperamental

Danni’s head shot up, and her eyes narrowed dangerously. She looked back in the direction she had left Robin to go scout ahead, while the other woman examined the ancient text they had found. She could feel a faint pulse of righteous anger that wasn’t her own coming from that direction, as well as a large amount of bloodlust. The gunner scowled heavily and turned back around, slinking through the shadows and roots of the large trees surrounding her.  


As she slunk closer to where she had left Robin, she heard a pained cry and then a male voice mocking, “When will you stop protecting a dead city like this?” Danni’s eyes flashed as her temper flared when she finally caught sight of Robin and her rather large opponent. Robin was bruised and bleeding, slumped against a pile of rubble, while her opponent loomed over her.  


Robin sat up, cringing in pain and asked, “Do you have no respect for history?”  


Danni quietly loaded her rifle, tearing the paper cartridge open with her teeth and pouring half of the black powder in the flash pan. She finished the process and placed the butt of the rifle against her shoulder and took aim. She couldn’t hit his head from her position, but she could hit his shoulder or leg. If her bullet worked.  


“I do not care about the past,” the man responded.  


Danni couldn’t see Robin’s face any more from her position, but she knew it was fierce, from the cold reply, “Foolish people always say that.” Danni fired and the bullet hit the man’s shoulder, blood gushing suddenly from the wound. She didn’t let her victory distract her, as she immediately moved to get into a different position. It wasn’t smart to stay in one place after you’ve shot someone.  


As she moved she caught eyes with Robin, and understanding passed between them. Danni ignored the roar of pain from the fat man, loading her rifle again as she moved positions. She didn’t have time to clean it properly while on the move. She settled into another position, just as Robin stood and began running, the man following after her with an angered roar. Danni aimed and fired again. The bullet missed, and simply grazed the man’s face. She cursed silently and began to move again, in the same direction as Robin.  


Away from the ruins.

Divided

Danni rubbed her forehead, wondering why she suddenly got a terrified feeling before it abruptly ended in pain and she thought of Chopper earlier. Right now she got the feeling that her captain was doing something stupid, and that Zoro was irritated. It made her feel all divided, since her own emotions were confused and worried.  


“How are you doing, Robin?” Danni called down, helping move the cloud where she could. She decided to ignore the weird mix of emotions she was getting that weren’t her own for now, and focus on helping Robin.  


“I think I’ve found a room,” the older woman called back, just as she cut the rest of the cloud away to reveal a drop into another room. Danni grabbed both of their packs and jumped down after Robin, dropping down into the new room. She looked around with curious eyes, trailing after her crewmate, who was talking to herself as she studied the new ruins. It still amazed her that Robin could read the ancient script.  


Eventually they reached the end of a hall and Danni gasped loudly, eyes widening at the sight that met them. “Oh my,” she breathed.  


“...Disappeared for 800 years, the Great City Cyandia...,” Robin murmured, sitting down at the edge of the hall. “After all this time, it’s still so...magnificent...” Danni nodded in agreement, before she barely had time to react when a spike of sheer rage shot through her. Her eyes widened and she stumbled slightly, taken aback by the intensity.  


She knew instinctively that it had come from Zoro, but she didn’t know how she knew this.

Delivery

“What if we refuse?” Robin asked. Danni glanced at her and then at Enel. She had a bad feeling. Nami gave a shocked cry, whereas Enel gave the archaeologist an odd look.  


“Refuse..?” he started, raising one eyebrow. “Why? I’ve already decided. If you stay here, you will fall into the abyss with this country!!”  


Robin shrugged and replied, “True...with your power, it’s possible. However, if you destroy this country, that thing you want will also fall, won’t it?” Danni’s eyes widened. That wasn’t going to work!  


Enel gave her a cool look, “The gold bell?” He then threw his head back and laughed, making Danni wince and tense, edging closer to Robin. “Don’t worry! Judging from your earlier adventures, I can only think of one place the bell could be...” Enel trailed off and Robin inhaled sharply, eyes wide. He chuckled, “Looks like you’re thinking what I’m thinking...”  


He shifted closer to Robin, who was staring at him with shocked eyes, “You seem surprised. Did you think you could trick me and find it yourself?” He glared and pointed a sparking finger at her, “How shallow.” Robin froze; her face paling and Nami screamed her name. “I don’t like shallow women.” Danni reacted on instinct.  


The lightning screamed through the air and the gunner barely managed to shove her crewmate out of the way before she was hit. Danni let out a shrill scream, her back arching as the electricity raced through her body and leaving burns behind. It vanished in a flare of light and her chest constricted painfully, her eyes rolling back in her head.  


She fell to her knees, blood spilling past her lips and body spasming almost violently. Robin stared from her place on the floor behind Danni, her eyes wide and disbelieving, unable to move. Danni began to fall, but was caught by Zoro, whose face was dark with a feral intensity. “How dare you,” he snarled, glaring at Enel, who merely blinked back at him, looking mildly startled at the twist.  


“And? What are you going to do about it?,” he responded idly, no remorse in his face, though there was some disappointment at not hitting his intended target.

Victory

Danni covered her mouth, hiding her smile and the blood spilling from her mouth. Tears were streaming down her face as the sound of the gold bell rang through the air. “What a wonderful song,” she coughed weakly, voice lost underneath the others. “Luffy sure knows how to make a victory count.”  


She stumbled, making her way over to Zoro, and collapsing down next to him weakly. He glanced over at her, narrowing his eyes at the bloodstains around her mouth and down her chin, and no doubt staining her palms as well. He sighed and muttered, “Foolish woman.”  


She laughed weakly, resting her head on his shoulder, “Shut up, brat. Like you’re any better.” Zoro scoffed, but didn’t retort. Danni sighed and closed her eyes wearily. She definitely over did it. The strange thing was she didn’t feel any worse, as if she hadn’t lost any more years.

Dramatic

Danni stared at her crew with wide eyes before she looked back at the oncoming crowd carrying something rather huge. “Luffy, wait--,” she started when the captain turned to leave. He didn’t hear her as the natives began yelling at them to wait as well. She face palmed as Usopp began to yell back at them dramatically about how they were looting. “I don’t think--,” she started again, but was once again ignored when Luffy cheered the sniper on.  


Her eye twitched and (rather childishly, she’ll admit) she stomped her foot and yelled, “I said WAIT!” The crew froze, turning to look at her with wide eyes at the uncharacteristic action. She glared at them, hands on her hip, and they suddenly felt like small children about to get scolded. “I don’t think they’re going to attack us! Robin’s with them! We’re not in any hurry, so cool your jets! Honestly!” Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper all nodded their heads weakly, while Nami, Sanji, and Zoro looked away uncomfortably, wondering why they felt guilty all of a sudden. She huffed at them, shaking her head in wry amusement.  


Upon finding out that the natives were giving them an entire pillar of gold, all of the crew (especially Nami) was grateful for Danni stopping them from leaving. Although, it took said woman telling Luffy about all the meat he could buy to stop him from rejecting the gift (he was saying something about he wasn’t a hero).

All I Ask

Danni sighed as she sat down on her bed, towel around her neck as she pulled her hair over her shoulder and began to comb through it. The door opened and she looked up in confusion. Nami closed the door behind her, biting her lip and looking unsure. “Nami?” Danni asked gently, gesturing for the younger girl to come over and sit next to her.  


“Uhm,” Nami started, playing with the blanket with her fingers. “I know you probably don’t want to talk about it or anything, but since things have calmed down a bit I thought that maybe you’d like to, er, talk about it?”  


Danni blinked at her in confusion, “What?”  


Nami swallowed and looked up through her bangs at the older woman, before saying cautiously, “About your-your...the rape attempt.” Danni went rigid and her eyes froze over, the comb stopping in the middle of its run through.  


“I don’t want to talk about it,” Danni managed to get out through gritted teeth.  


Nami flinched, before she steeled her nerves, and retorted, “But you’ll have to talk about it eventually! You can’t keep it bottled away and act as if it didn’t happen! You can talk to me, Danni!” The fire died and the navigator whispered, “Please.”  


Danni looked at her, face unreadable and the younger girl fidgeted as the silence grew longer. Finally, the gunner’s face softened and she sighed. “I...I’ll try,” she said slowly.  


Nami brightened up in relief, “That’s all I ask, Danni.” There was a beat of silence and then she offered tentatively, “Do you want me to braid your hair for you?”  


The older woman paused at the offer, biting her lip. She hadn’t let anyone braid her hair since her mother passed away. Not even her older brother. It had felt wrong, somehow, to have someone that wasn’t her mom play with her hair. She looked at Nami, who looked like she was about to take back the offer, and answered, “...Sure.”

Fire

Danni frowned as she watched her captain get fired up, keeping her arms folded across her chest and her eyes on the Foxy pirates. She knew that Luffy was actually really pissed off, though he was keeping it mostly reigned in. “That is why we, the Foxy Pirates, will challenge the Straw-Hat Pirates to an official Davy Back Fight!!” Foxy shouted, and Danni moved before Luffy could respond.  


Her face never changing she lashed out her arm and slapped her hand over her captain’s face, and pushed him back and down onto the ground. She gave the Foxy Pirates a polite smile, eyes closed as she said pleasantly, “Excuse me.” The trio stared at her with wide eyes, shivers going down their backs, though they had no idea why.  


“Danni!” Luffy whined, holding his nose as he sat up, pouting at her. She dropped down next to him in a crouch, face serious, making Luffy blink at her with wide eyes.  


She pursed her lips and then sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. “It’s your decision since you’re the captain, but Luffy I want you to listen to me,” she started, locking eyes with her captain firmly. “The Davy Back Games is a way to win pirates, Luffy, which means if you lose, you can lose any one of your nakama.” She then glared at him darkly and finished, “I only speak for myself, but I’m positive the other’s will agree, but I will not accept anyone but you as my captain.”  


Luffy’s eyes widened before his face stretched into a wide grin. “Let’s do it, then, Danni!” he cheered. “With our nakama, we can’t lose!”

Lies

Danni was silent and standing in the back of the group the entire time they “talked” with Aokiji. She didn’t like him, he made her skin crawl and he was spewing half hidden lies. He wasn’t completely lying, but you didn’t just happen upon a supreme admiral. So she kept her mouth shut, and herself out of view. It wasn’t a good idea to get recognized, considering who her father was.  


She wasn’t getting her hopes up, though.  


“Hmm,” Aokiji started, staring a Luffy with an odd intensity that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. “How should I say this? You and your grandfather are really alike, Monkey D. Luffy.” Luffy startled and Danni tensed, wishing she could move for her rifle. She didn’t like the sudden shift in the admiral’s attitude. “Is it open-minded...? Or is it absent-minded...?”  


Luffy jerked with a stuttered cry of ‘Grandpa?’ and Danni felt a flash of sheer terror that wasn’t her own. She gritted her teeth and shifted her weight, hands clenching into tight fists. “I dealt with your grandpa a long time ago,” Aokiji sighed. “Even though I only came to see Nico Robin...” Danni froze, her face paling when the admiral suddenly looked at them all darkly, 

“Maybe all of you should just die here now.”

Stormy

Danni’s face was stormy as she gripped her rifle tightly, glaring at the admiral who had just frozen one of her precious nakama. “You bastard!” Luffy screamed, leaping up from his position on the floor, ignoring his now frozen fist.  


Aokiji curled his lip and said, “Chill, kid...If you thaw her properly, she’ll live. However, her body is very brittle right now. If she breaks apart, she’ll die.” He raised his fist up and continued lazily, “Like if I were to, oh, let’s say, smash her like this...” He moved his fist forward and Danni snapped.  


She moved the same time as Luffy did. She left Robin in his care and swung her rifle with all her might. Luffy bent back, clutching Robin tightly, and Danni smashed her gun against the admiral’s arm. Amazingly enough it knocked the punch off course, but it had the downfall of Aokiji turning his attention on her fully.  


He looked at her with narrowed eyes, and she glared back up at him defiantly, pushing her fear down ruthlessly. “You are...,” he trailed off before ignoring her and lifting his foot up, preparing to smash it down on the ice sculpture that was Robin. She swallowed, her heart thudding in her chest, and twisted her rifle, catching his foot in mid-swing and she grunted as she was forced into a squat from the force, but it allowed for Usopp to grab Robin and run back towards Nami.  


Aokiji scowled, his eyes flashing and he growled, “And what do you think you’re doing?” He pressed his foot down harder and she grunted, arms shaking. Her rifle creaked under the weight, and she knew it couldn’t take much more before it would snap. Luffy rolled out from under both of them and stood. Before Danni could react, her captain shoved her out of the way and received the full brunt of the kick on his stomach.  


Danni looked at him with wide eyes, and he looked at her seriously as he yelled, “Usopp, Chopper, Nami! Get back to the ship! Start thawing Robin!” She stared back at him from her position on the floor, eyes wide. He grunted as he stood, never tearing his gaze away from her. She scrambled to her feet as well, gripping her rifle tightly.  


Aokiji frowned, sneering, “For God’s sake, don’t save a woman like her.” Danni’s eyes flashed and she swung her rifle at him again, distracting him from attacking her four crewmates. He caught the rifle, glaring at her and she smirked, trying to ignore her thudding heart.  


“In case you’ve forgotten,” Danni started, arms trembling as she tried to keep a hold of her weapon. “We’re pirates. All of us women are like her.”  


He glared down at her, “Oh?” He batted her away, hitting her cheek with her rifle in the process and said coldly, “Stand aside, Beckman.” Danni grunted as she skidded across the ground, rifle clattering down next to her. Sanji and Zoro immediately made to rush towards the admiral, expressions furious.  


“Wait, you two!” Luffy yelled, standing up behind Aokiji. The two stopped, and Danni struggled to her feet, not liking the determined feeling that wasn’t her own. “Don’t fight him! I want to fight him alone.” Danni’s eyes widened. Luffy put his fists up, expression determined, “Let’s settle this. You and me; mano a mano!”

Terrible

“Mano a mano!? Then you left him and came back like that?” Usopp screamed. Danni tensed, still trembling even as she helped Zoro massage his arm back to life.  


Sanji frowned, massaging his own leg and replied, “That was the captain’s order...” Danni glanced at Usopp sharply when the younger teen took a step forward, fists clenched and trembling.  


“So what? You can’t just run away! You are too cruel! Or scared?” the sniper shouted, face furious and entire body trembling. Danni stood up at the same time as Sanji yelled at the teen to shut up. Her movement stopped Sanji from getting up and attacking the sniper.  


The gunner glared at Usopp furiously, making him step back and flinch. “We are pirates,” she snarled, stepping towards the trembling teen and forcing him against the ship wall. “The captain’s orders are absolute. But that’s not the point, Usopp. Luffy called mano a mano. Mano a mano. Right now, we are at a critical point, try to understand!” She had to stop herself there, fists clenched and entire body trembling.  


She inhaled deeply through her nose, closing her eyes and trying to stop herself from attacking the sniper. She opened her eyes, anger still sparking before it cut off suddenly as an overwhelming feeling of frustration washed over her, before it was cut off abruptly.  


She stumbled back, face deathly pale as she clutched her chest, eyes wide. Zoro was on his feet immediately and had an arm around her waist, steadying her as she took in gulps of air frantically. “Danni?” he questioned sharply. She shook her head, trying to push away the terrible empty feeling she was getting.  


“We need to get Luffy,” she stammered, looking up at the swordsman with wide, fearful eyes.

Hold

Danni jolted awake, panting and eyes wide. She shivered, rolling onto her other side and curling into a ball. Phantom hands were running down her body and she stifled a sob as she rubbed her arms frantically, trying to escape the pricking feeling. She closed her eyes tightly, but only opened them again when she got flashes of a dark leer and lustful eyes.  


Shaking she uncurled from her ball and climbed out of bed silently. She draped her blanket around her shoulders, holding it closed in front of her and headed for the kitchen. Usopp was on early morning watch, but Sanji was usually in the kitchen at this hour prepping for breakfast. She knocked on the door to the kitchen before opening it, peeking around it to see what Sanji was doing. He looked up at her, a bright smile spreading across his face, before it faded when he got a closer look at her.  


“Come sit down, Danni-chan,” the cook said motioning to the table as he set about preparing to make a cup of tea for the obviously shaken woman. She did so, pulling her knees up to her chest when she sat down in one of the chairs, blanket wrapped around her snugly. “Here,” Sanji said quietly, offering her the sweet smelling tea, steam rising from the cup.  


She took it gently, simply holding it as she blew on it gently. “Thank you,” she muttered softly, not looking up at the blonde, keeping her eyes downcast. Sanji smiled at her, though his eyes shone with worry. He had a pretty good guess on what had her up this early, and he didn’t like it one bit. He had to refrain himself from slamming a fist on the counter in anger. How could anyone do such a wretched thing to a woman? Anyone for that matter?  


He snarled silently, finishing his prep work for breakfast efficiently, before he slumped into the seat across from Danni, forcing himself to calm down. He took out a cigarette and lit it, the scent of cloves filling the air. The blonde watched Danni quietly, and raised an eyebrow when he noticed that she was starting to relax, inhaling deeply.  


He exhaled a lungful of smoke and he was startled when the older woman spoke, “You smoke the same brand as my dad.” Sanji gave her a questioning look, asking her silently what she meant by saying that. She gave him a shy smile from around the rim of her cup, taking a sip of the tea before she answered, “It’s...nice.”  


Comforting was the more correct term, but she couldn’t bring herself to say that out loud. Instead she relaxed fully, the dredges of her nightmare beginning to fade as she was soothed by the familiar scent of smoke.  


Sanji made a note to never change brands. 

Baffling

Usopp found it baffling whenever Danni sat down next to Chopper and Luffy whenever he began to tell of his “adventures”, that weren’t true, but fanciful lies. He knew she knew they were lies, but she seemed to genuinely enjoy them, unlike the rest of the crew (not including Chopper and Luffy, who thought the stories were all true). He came to accept it though, and he found himself creating stories in his head to tell Danni.  


He didn’t always get to tell them once they were made, but he always had one ready just in case. So when one night when he was on shift, Danni came out wrapped in her blanket and pale faced and looking like she had seen a ghost, he immediately had her climb up into the crow’s nest with him.  


Danni offered the blanket to the younger teen silently, and he thought about refusing, but a cold gust of wind had him huddling against the woman, teeth chattering. She chuckled quietly, though it sounded weaker than usual. Usopp swallowed, wondering what he could do to help her. He wasn’t exactly the type of person someone would be willing to talk about traumatic experiences too.  


He glanced over at her, biting his lip when he noticed she was staring out at the horizon with blank (almost dead) eyes. Swallowing hard, he whispered, “Did I ever tell you about how I took on a humongous...”  


He considered it a job done well when life returned to Danni’s eyes, and she didn’t seem so dead anymore. 

Panic

“Robin,” Danni started quietly, looking over at the woman with her head tilted and eyes contemplating. The older woman hummed to show she was listening, and Danni continued, “Would you mind if I...if I braid your hair?”  


Robin looked over her shoulder at the other woman, an eyebrow raised. “I don’t mind,” she started. “But can I ask why?” Danni flushed slightly, rubbing the back of her neck roughly. Robin chuckled lightly in amusement. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”  


Danni shook her head, loose hair flying around her like a river of ink. “No! It’s not that!” she said, waving her hands out in front of her. “It’s just--embarrassing slightly, is all...” She took a deep breath, moving to sit behind the older woman and beginning to run a brush through the shorter locks of black hair. “...I’m still a bit panicked from before. (Robin flinched slightly at the reminder, and Danni bit her lip.) My mom, before she died. She always braided my hair when she was feeling out of sorts. She said the motions soothed her.”  


Danni fell silent, and Robin relaxed slowly at the repetitive motions of the brush gently detangling her hair. “I understand,” Robin murmured quietly. Danni smiled and the two spent the rest of the evening like that; quietly enjoying the other’s company.

With You

Luffy tugged on the end of Danni’s braid, getting the distracted woman’s attention almost instantly. He grinned at her, continuing to fiddle with the hair (much to her amusement), and asked, “Ne, Danni, I wanna take a nap.”  


She quirked an eyebrow at him and asked in return, amusement clear on her face, “And what does that have to do with me?”  


The younger teen pouted, letting her hair go to cross his arms and slouch over like a sulking child. “I wanna nap with you and Zoro! He’s already sleeping!” he whined, uncrossing his arms and tugging on her hands instead, leading her over to where Zoro was indeed sleeping against the ship’s wall.  


She wasn’t given much choice in the matter as Luffy forced her to sit down next to the swordsman, and then plopped down himself and putting his head on her lap. She looked down at him with a raised eyebrow and asked with fond exasperation, “You do know we have pillows, right?”  


Luffy pouted, puffing out his cheeks, and exclaiming, “But your lap is more comfy! Now sleep!” As if to prove his claim he snuggled closer and closed his eyes, firmly stating that he wasn’t leaving any time soon. She was proved correct when the captain began to snore, body going completely limp.  


Snorting quietly, she shook her head and began toying with Luffy’s hair. He had taken his hat off so as to not squish it, and was instead holding it against his chest like it was a teddy bear. “You should sleep as well, woman,” Zoro’s sleepy voice said roughly.  


Danni peered up at him in question, and he merely stared back with half lidded eyes. “You aren’t sleeping well, right?” the swordsman asked, making her flinch slightly and avert her eyes. He snorted gruffly, closing his eyes and obviously preparing to fall back asleep. There was a period of silence, and so Danni was startled when Zoro spoke again, “We’re here for you, Danni.” It was muttered so quietly she wasn’t entirely sure she had actually heard it or not. Nonetheless she relaxed against the wall and closed her eyes, lulled to sleep by the familiar snores of Luffy and Zoro.  


When the rest of the crew found them later that day, they let them be, though Chopper ended up joining them, as well as Usopp, much to the remaining three’s amusement (not that Sanji would admit that).

Killing

Danni yawned as she exited her room, heading up to the deck with her rifle over one shoulder and two revolvers and a pistol slung over the other shoulder. In her hands was her gun cleaning kit. Her feet were bare and she was only wearing her shorts and a tank, with a cropped vest over it. She wasn’t planning on going anywhere, feeling too tired to keep up with the rest of the crew’s antics.  


Upon reaching the deck, she felt an unknown presence and had one of the revolvers in hand and pointed at the capped man perched on the ship’s railing. “Who are you?” she asked sharply, finger hovering over the trigger and ready to pull for a killing blow.  


Zoro was up immediately on that, sword halfway drawn, but the intruder merely held his hands up and answered, “I’m one of the shipwrights. I’m here to examine the ship.” Danni narrowed her eyes, but slowly holstered the revolver, Zoro following her lead and eyeing the man shrewdly. She motioned for him to do his things, but kept one sharp eye on him, even as she settled against the railing and began cleaning the guns.  


“Hm, this is bad,” Kaku (as he had introduced himself as) murmured, finished with his examination. Danni frowned and gave the tall man a sharp look that clearly said ‘start talking’. He looked at them seriously and explained, “Your ship can’t be fixed. The keel’s broken. The ship won’t even make it to the next island.”  


Zoro glared down at the man and asked in disbelief, “Are you serious?”  


“I’m a carpenter,” Kaku responded, somewhat sharply. “I don’t lie.” Danni didn’t like the man. He made her uncomfortable. His body shape was too similar to her would-be rapist. She shivered and placed a hand on the ship’s deck, using it to ground herself. The man left and she frowned staring around at the ship sadly.  


Zoro crossed his arms and stared at the head of the ship, murmuring, “Going Merry...You really can’t go any further?” Danni bit her lip and returned to cleaning her guns. She couldn’t bear the thought of their beloved ship not making it.

Jump

Danni stared down at Usopp’s broken and bleeding body, face completely devoid of any emotion, though inside was a completely different matter. “Is he still...breathing, Chopper?” Sanji asked quietly, inhaling a lungful of smoke. Danni tilted her head, switching her gaze from her broken nakama and instead staring at the large house a few yards away from where they were.  


“He’s alive,” Chopper answered solemnly. “No problem. He’ll be okay, even though he lost consciousness...” The group was silent, and then Danni jumped slightly when her own rage amplified extensively, making her hiss and her hands tightening into fists. She swallowed heavily, body shaking with the intensity of the ferocious anger that was as much her own as it was the men’s around her.  


“Wait here a little bit, Usopp,” Luffy ordered quietly, though there was no way for the unconscious teen could hear him. The captain cracked his knuckles, while Sanji lit a new cigarette, hair shadowing his eyes. Zoro was tying his bandana around his head, and Chopper let out a low, angry growl, hat shadowing his own eyes. Danni rested her rifle across her shoulders and unclipped one of the revolvers attached to her hip. “Let’s cause trouble in that house...and then send it flying with a kick!”

 

Danni sat on top of one of the men, her rifle pointed at his head as she glared down at him. He was blubbering something about how they could repay them, or something like that and she scoffed, nudging the muzzle against his forehead. He froze and his words died in his throat. “It isn’t about the money, you moron,” she growled lowly. “You nearly slaughtered one of our nakama, you worthless scum.”  


She thought about letting the bullet in the rifle fly, but decided against it. With great reluctance she flipped the rifle and slammed the butt on the man’s head. She sneered down at the now downed man, before turning her attention to the rest of her nakama amongst the burning remains of the Franky House. Zoro and Sanji were discussing what to do (quite civilly, amazingly enough), whereas Luffy was perched on the highest point, and Chopper was attending to Usopp on more depth, preparing him to be moved.  


“Okay! I’m done!” Chopper called out. “Come help lift him!”  


Sanji nodded, standing and turning to Luffy saying, “We’re just wasting time here. Let’s go back.” Luffy didn’t respond. “Nami is alone on the ship, and Robin’s nowhere to be found. The ship itself, is breaking down...” Luffy still didn’t respond and Sanji raised an eyebrow. “Hey, Luffy!”  


The teen stood, arms crossed and after another beat of silence said, “The ship...” Sanji made a questioning noise, and Danni stood up from her perch on the downed man. “I’ve decided...It’s time to say goodbye to Going Merry.” Danni’s heart clenched, but she understood. Merry couldn’t sail anymore, and she knew she would hate it if they drowned with the ship. She had the feeling the Going Merry didn’t want that either.

Waste

Danni pulled her knees up against her, burying her head in them and trying to block out the whirlwind of emotions inside of her. Most of it wasn’t her’s anymore. Luffy was feeling angry, betrayed, hurt, and it was killing her that he was also completely resolved in his decision. She didn’t blame him. Not at all. She understood the position of captain better than most of the crew. She was angry at Usopp as a member of the crew, but as a friend she understood.  


She knew Luffy had been conflicted, and most likely continue to be even if he stood firm in the position of captain.  


On top of that, she could feel the inner turmoil of Usopp’s. The grief, pain, betrayal, and most of all, the denial. She felt that the denial was more than just about the ship. There was also the feelings of inadequacy and fear. Usopp knew he couldn’t win, but he was shoving that down under his pride. Danni didn’t know how much more of this she could take.  


The other’s were a jumbled mix of resentment, worry, and confusion and it only added to the sea she was drowning in. She didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t even settle down her own feelings and she felt like she was ripping apart at the seams. The woman shivered and curled into herself tighter, keeping the tears at bay ruthlessly, refusing to let them fall.

 

“Heavy...,” Luffy muttered, and Danni flinched slightly, nails digging into the railing she was leaning against next to Zoro. Watching the fight had been painful, but she understood something some of the other’s probably didn’t want to think about or couldn’t even grasp. If this had been any other pirate crew, Usopp would have been dead the moment he questioned the captain’s orders.  


Zoro didn’t look at his captain as he started sharply, “That’s what a captain is.” Luffy started and Danni glanced over at Zoro, biting the inside of her lip. “Don’t hesitate. If you can’t be decisive, who can we believe in?” Chopper jumped off the ship and raced towards Usopp, knowing that while he couldn’t heal the sniper, that didn’t mean he couldn’t leave behind medical supplies. “Let’s clear the ship,” Zoro announced, brow furrowed. “We can’t return to this ship ever again.”  


Danni didn’t stop her tears this time. Luffy was crying as well, but he was tilting his hat down so that it shadowed his face and he was biting his lip to stifle the sobs. Chopper didn’t even bother hiding his tears, though he refrained from sobbing openly. Sanji moved to stand next to Danni, not looking at her and simply smoking, hoping it helped her at least a little.

 

I feel so useless. Like I’m a waste of space. What is it even that I’m here for? I’m a gunner, and I don’t even have a dream, not really. I can understand Usopp, but at the same time I can’t condone what he did. Luffy’s our captain. My captain. But I don’t know what to do, or how I can help.  


Daddy, am I bad person?  


Sometimes I remember the time’s as a kid when people said I shouldn’t exist because my dad’s a pirate. Mom always told me that was a lie, but I can’t help but wonder. If I can’t help my nakama, then what good am I?  


Should I even exist?  


The last question was scribbled out sloppily, the ink staining the page and smudged by the tears that had dropped onto the paper. Danni stared down at the letter blankly, fingers trembling around the pen in her hand. She couldn’t bring herself to tear the letter to shreds and write a new one. One that didn’t have so much emotional truth and tear stains.  


But it was a part of her life, and she wanted her dad to know what she did. Even if it was painful.

Passion

“It’s time for everyone to wake up,” Zoro started seriously, tapping the end of his sword on the ground. “Robin started out as our enemy, and then we let her on our ship. She wouldn’t have left us out of fear after all this time. Before the sun goes down, we need to figure out if that woman is friend, or foe?”  


Danni frowned, tapping her fingers on her rifle across her lap. “Not necessarily,” she mumbled quietly, brow furrowed in thought as she stared down at her weapon. Luffy looked at her, lips still drawn in a tight line, and silently asked what she meant. She shrugged her shoulders uncomfortably, “Well, there are people stronger than us, aren’t there? Maybe she did leave out of fear, but maybe not for herself.”  


Nami looked at her in confusion, and Zoro stared at her with a stony look, though she could tell it wasn’t because he didn’t think she had a point. “What do you mean?” Nami finally asked. Luffy remained silent, thoughts swirling.  


Danni shrugged again, face completely blank now, belying the raging cyclone of emotions inside. “Maybe she’s doing this out of fear for us,” she pointed out quietly. Nami shot her a confused look, Luffy mirroring it with a faint spark of hope. Zoro was silent, determined to be the neutral party and mind. “But, that also might not be the case.”  


The group fell silent, before Zoro finally spoke again. “Robin...really said that, right, Chopper?” The reindeer nodded with a confirmation. “She said we won’t ever meet after today. It sounds like she’s announcing that she’s going to do something to make things worse for us.” Danni nodded in agreement, fingers still tapping against her rifle. “The attempt on the mayor’s life has already caused this much of an uproar; if someone wants to make matters worse, there’s only one way...”  


Nami reached the conclusion and was the one to say it out loud, “This time, the successful assassination of the mayor.” Danni kept her thoughts to herself. Something just didn’t feel right about this whole situation, but maybe that was the fact that the crew felt like it was falling apart at the seams.  


“That’s the natural thing for us to think,” Zoro agreed, before he continued, “But now that we know she’s framing us for the crime, this could be viewed as a trap to lead us to the crime scene...” The swordsman honestly didn’t like thinking of his crewmate like that. Even though he had had his misgivings about the woman when she joined the crew, she had become nakama. “If we’re found at the scene of the crime, then we’ll automatically be framed.”  


Nami frowned and objected passionately, “Wait!! You sound like you’re already thinking of Robin as the enemy!”  


Danni quirked an eyebrow at the navigator and said calmly, “It’s a real possibility. Is it the truth? We don’t know.” Nami looked like she wanted to object again, but Danni only continued to stare the younger girl in the eye.  


“I’m just talking about the possibilities,” Zoro repeated Danni’s point. “I’m not really on either side. Whether to believe it or not...” The swordsman kept his hand on the hilt of his white katana, his thumb pushing the guard up to reveal a sliver of the blade. “If I pick one side and the truth is the opposite, the instant in which I make my move, I’ll be slowed down.”  


Danni silently agreed, and said, voice completely devoid of emotion, “If something’s going to happen, it will happen tonight.”  


Zoro turned to Luffy, who had remained silent since his initial outburst at Chopper’s message, and asked, “Do we go to the crime scene?”  


There was a beat of silence, before the young captain’s expression turned fierce and he pushed his hat down firmly on his head, and ordered, “We go.”

Flying

Danni noticed immediately that Luffy was planning on flying over, and latched onto him before she could even register what the consequences were of that move. The gunner didn’t even have time to warn the others they were going before the wind caught the two and they were flying through the air. Luffy looked down when something tightened around his waist, and jerked when he realized he had an extra passenger. “Danni!” he cried out in shock, the wind slamming into them and causing them to go crashing into the side of a building.  


The captain shifted them so he hit the wall first, cushioning Danni, though the force of the crash broke the wall, sending shrapnel everywhere. Danni grunted, eyes screwed shut as dust was sent up in the air, making her cough harshly. Luffy scrambled up, maneuvering them so that he was holding Danni by the waist next to him, looking down at her in concern. “Danni, are you okay?” he asked, holding onto the wall with his other hand.  


“Yeah, I’m fine, captain,” she wheezed, clutching onto the teen with one hand, while the other covered her mouth as she coughed. “Geez, think before you leap! If I hadn’t been with you, would have hit the crevice right there!” And there was one right there next to them, extremely narrow and tight, even for a person made of rubber. Luffy blinked at her owlishly, and she sighed, shaking her head, “Nevermind.”  


Luffy grinned and tightened his hold on his gunner, before shouting with glee, “Let’s go find Robin!” Danni’s scream was lost to the wind when they were suddenly launched straight for the mansion Luffy had been originally aiming for. With the added weight of another person, the landing that would have normally left Luffy stuck in the wall, made another huge crash that sent debris everywhere and the two pirates stumbling as they landed.  


Danni sat dazed on the ground, knuckles white from the force of her grip on Luffy’s vest, who looked up and stared at the scene in front of them. Paulie stared and coughed, “Straw-hat...!!” Danni blinked shaking her head as she stood, before Luffy jumped up and forced her up way to quickly for her.  


Luffy stared at the bleeding shipwright and exclaimed in shock, “Ah! You’re the guy with ropes! What happened? Are you okay!? You’re bleeding!”  


The gunner stared at the three figures in front of them unblinkingly, not liking the feeling the masked men gave her. “...This is the third floor...,” Paulie groaned. “I should be asking if you’re okay...” Danni felt a shiver crawl down her spine when the man with the skull mask turned to look at her with sharp eyes.  


“Straw-Hat Luffy and...Beckman,” the masked man said slowly.  


The man with the bull-mask next to him then asked, cocking his head to the side, “Did you come here to take the blame for us?” Luffy finally took note of the masked men and glared when the implications of their appearance clicked in his head.  


“You! You’ve been telling Robin to do something, haven’t you!? GIVE ROBIN BACK, YOU BASTARDS!” Luffy shouted, fists clenched, even as he shifted in front of Danni slightly, aware of her sudden tense state.  


The skull-mask didn’t answer before after a beat of silence he flew at Luffy with a muttered, “Rankyaku.” Luffy cleared the kick with a jump, eyes wide as he saw the damage to the wall from the single kick. Danni ducked out of the way, eyes wide and grabbing one of the revolvers clipped to her hip. She aimed the gun at the bull-mask, but wasn’t quick enough.  


The bull-mask hooked his leg and slammed his foot on Luffy’s neck, locking him against the ground with horse-shoe like contraptions. Danni fired a bullet, but the man easily dodged, heading straight for her. She froze, fear coiling tight in her stomach as the bull-mask rushed her, too quick for her to react. She was slammed into the ground with a hand around her neck, before she was pinned to the floor exactly like her captain, her gun kicked off to the side.  


The man loomed over her and she was completely defenseless, her rifle digging uncomfortably in her back unlike the usual steady and comforting weight. A muffled whimper left her throat before she could stop it, phantom touches skimming all over her body and she shook, straining against her bonds. The bull-mask didn’t so much as bat an eyelash, “It’s an emergency. We don’t have time to play around with you.”

Body

Luffy gripped Danni’s arm, stopping her from continuing out of the room they’d been trapped in, Paulie waiting for them at the door, instinctively knowing he wasn’t privy to whatever they were going to talk about. The pirate captain looked at his gunner in the eye seriously before he said in a low tone, “You are safe now, Danni. I will never let anything like that happen to you again. Do you understand?”  


Danni swallowed and nodded tightly. Luffy frowned, narrowing his eyes before saying, “Your body is yours and no one else’s.” With that he let go of her arm and they were off down the hall. Danni felt something ease inside of her at her captain’s words, and firmed herself. She would never let herself become helpless like that again.  


Luffy crashed through a door, and Danni skidded to a stop, nearly crashing into Paulie, who called out in exasperation, “Moron! It’s not that room! It’s the next one!”  


Luffy looked back at him in shock, “It’s the next one?” He then turned his head to the wall separating the rooms, cocking his head to the side. Danni’s eyes widened before she let a grin split her face. Oh yes. Enter with style.  


She quickly headed over to her captain, Paulie following behind in confusion. Luffy shot her a wide grin, before it melted into a determined anger and he rushed at the wall. The wall groaned at the weight for a minute and then buckled under the captain, who smashed through, shouting, “WHERE’S ROBIN!??”  


At the same time, Zoro cut through the door, and cried out in shock, “Luffy?” Robin said her captain’s name as well, but it was under her breath and shocked.  


Lucci glared at the groups, growling, “A hindrance.”  


Danni smirked at the room, and swung her rifle across her shoulders. “Nah, I’d say it’s a party,” she drawled, eyes flashing dangerously.


	5. Chapter 5

Sword

“...I thought,” Paulie started, tears welling up in his eyes. “I REALLY THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS!!”  


Lucci stared down at the shipwright, raising one of his clawed hands, which glinted like a sword in the flames, and responded blandly, “Only you thought that.” Luffy snarled, eyes flashing with a dark rage as he swung his fist, slamming it into the zoan user’s face with a roar. Danni’s eyes widened when the hit landed and rushed over, being the closest of the group to Luffy.  


“Straw-Hat!” Paulie called out in panic. Luffy looked confused before his eyes widened as he realized Lucci was suddenly much closer and about to shove a clawed finger through his stomach. He had no time to react. Danni pushed herself to go faster and stretched her arms out and shoved Luffy to the side. Blood splashed to the floor and a blood curdling scream split the air.  


“DANNI!” Zoro and Luffy roared in unison, eyes wide as they stared at the woman whose side was drenched in blood from the hole now decorating her body. Lucci pulled his finger out, gripping the gunner’s head with his other hand as he did so. He licked the blood coating his finger nonchalantly and said flatly, “What a nuisance.” Danni coughed, blood dripping from her mouth as she hung from the fruit user’s hand limply.  


Without any care, Lucci flung the woman out one of the windows with great force, sending her flying through the air. Luffy let out a wordless howl and rushed at the CP9 agent, fist cocked back. Except, he was soon sent flying through a wall and caught by the wind as well. Zoro soon followed.

 

Danni jolted awake as a sharp jolt of pure _grief _shot through her. She jolted up, and immediately regretted it as her wound throbbed and blood gushed out of it. She hissed, pressing a hand against the hole, ignoring the blood now staining the pale skin dark red. Looking around in confusion, the pirate slowly stumbled to her feet, whimpering when the move pulled at her wound.  
__

Gritting her teeth, she pushed past the pain and straightened her back, carefully pulling off her shirt, leaving her in only her tank top. With trembling fingers she tore the shirt and wrapped it around her wound tightly in a makeshift bandage. Finished with that she peered closer at her surroundings to try and find out where she had landed. “Damn that bastard,” she hissed under her breath, glaring at the house she had smashed in to.  


She coughed lightly into her hand, and, making sure her rifle was safe and undamaged, she carefully began to climb over the rubble surrounding her and towards the hole above her. She had a sense of urgency and she wasn’t going to let a hole stop her from getting back to her nakama.

Skill

“Do you still plan to wage war in the center of the world government!?” Paulie shouted fiercely. Danni rubbed the back of her neck, trying to ignore the rain drenching them all and the wild winds above them. She was getting irritated by the delays in rescuing their nakama. Apparently Luffy was too.  


The young captain took a step forward, fist at the ready and shouted back at the shipwrights, “In that case, we’ll take the ship by force!!” As if agreeing with the pirate, a large wave crashed against the bridge, sending water all over them and the wind howled. “We’re leaving now!!” Luffy’s expression was furious and almost savage in its intensity as he yelled, “Our friend’s are waiting for us!! Don’t get in our way!!”  


Paulie scowled and readied his rope, responding, “Fine. Then you’ll have to get through me first.” Danni’s lips pulled back in a soundless snarl and her grip on her rifle tightened. Zoro’s face was blank but no less foreboding as he started to draw his sword. Even Chopper and Nami were preparing to fight, expressions grim.  


“Hold it right there!” Kokoro yelled, easily stopping the battle as everyone turned to her in confusion. “Paulie is right. You’re not thinking straight, Straw Hats.”  


Luffy glared at her and growled, “You’re annoying! It’s not like you know--”  


He was cut off by the old woman, who said sharply, “You think I don’t know? Hear me out first.” Her lips were still stretched in that almost perpetual grin, and Danni grimaced, shifting closer to Luffy who was getting more and more angry at all of the interruptions. “If we let you go like this, you’ll just end up dead in a flash. Listen carefully, if there’s anything that can survive this unprecedented Aqua Laguna, it’s the sea train made by the man in the legend.”  


Luffy snarled and snapped, “Yeah, but we can’t do anything about that here, so we have to use a ship!”  


Kokoro turned her back on them and started, “If you’re determined to put our lives on the line for this...” She glanced over her shoulder, grin stretched even wider, “Then follow me. I’ll start the sea train for you.”  


Danni let a grin split her face. Their crew had the greatest luck on the face of the planet; it just had to be a skill of some sort.

Compact

Luffy stretched, touching his hands to the ground, with one foot in the air, while Zoro ordered the Franky Family members to keep firing. Danni ignored them all as she ripped open a package with her teeth. She poured the red powder into the muzzle, followed by a shiny black bullet. She shoved it down with the ramrod, before she primed the flash pan.  


Once finished with that she stood and shouldered her rifle. Luffy had his hands planted on his hips as he asked, “What’s three times 108?”  


“324,” Zoro answered promptly.  


Luffy pouted, “What? But that’s so hard to pronounce...” Danni snorted, a small smile curling her lips. Zoro sighed in exasperation and told the captain to just change it then. The gunner cocked her gun, aiming at the rapidly approaching wave, and Luffy began to swing his arm around. “Then 400.”  


“Fine,” both Zoro and Danni responded. Ignoring the cover fire at their backs, all three of them readied their attacks.  


_“Gomu Gomu...” _  
__

_“Four Hundred Bond...” _  
__

_“Compact Outbreak...” _  
__

Luffy let his fists fly, Zoro let loose his slashes and Danni’s bullet had a red glare surrounding it as it flew through the air. _“Siege Crash Cannon!!” _The bullet exploded the moment it touched the wave, and the force of the combined attacks created a large hole through the entirety of the wave, allowing for the train to roar through.  
__

“Ne, Danni, what was that attack?” Luffy asked curiously as they headed back for the window to let them back inside the train. “I don’t think I’ve seen it before.”  


The gunner shrugged, “Because you haven’t. I only just finished the powder.” She didn’t elaborate on what the powder did or the strange bullet she used, and Luffy didn’t ask. The trio entered the train, and was met with Nami who held out a Den Den Mushi and told them it was Sanji. Danni stayed silent through the exchange, cleaning her rifle.  


She shifted in her spot, grimacing when her tank rubbed against her wound and clung to her skin uncomfortably. A pile of neatly folded clothing was held out to her, and Nami said, “Here Danni, I picked these up for you.”  


Danni smiled, “Thanks. My bandages need to be changed as well.” Nami grimaced at the reminder, before she began to change her own clothes, ignoring the fact that the train was pretty much filled with men. Danni didn’t think much of it either. She’d gotten a lot more comfortable showing skin since Alabasta, and really didn’t think about it anymore.  


She gingerly peeled her tank top off, wincing as the movement pulled at her wound. Chopper was next to her in an instance, unraveling the soaked bandages and checking the hole. Thankfully, Lucci’s claw hadn’t pierced all the way through, though it had torn a good amount of skin and muscles, it had missed anything vital. “I’m going to stitch it closed, Danni,” Chopper said, prepping the needle and thread to do so. “The swelling’s gone down enough for me to do it now.”  


Danni clenched her teeth as the reindeer began to stitch the wound closed, refusing to cry out. She’d had worse pains. After a few agonizing minutes, Chopper pulled away and began to wrap her torso in clean bandages once more. “There. Done,” the doctor announced, smiling.  


“Thanks, Chopper,” Danni said, smiling back before standing and carefully wiggling out of her soaked shorts and tights. Nami noticed she was changing and stood in front of her so she could change her under things quickly. Once the older woman was semi-decently covered Nami moved back away, handing over a black tube top that would cover her torso completely.  


Danni made a face at that and Nami grimaced, apologizing, “Sorry, it was the first thing I grabbed. I couldn’t get any tights either.” Danni shook her head, disregarding the apology and telling her it wasn’t her fault. With Nami’s help, the gunner got the shirt on without tearing her wound back open, and then the overalls, that were black and had shorts instead of pants. Slipping on the heels identical to one’s the younger girl was wearing, Danni straightened and swung her rifle over her shoulder, the weight on her back was more comforting.  


Nami grinned, tapping her climatact on the grin and announcing, “Okay! Ready for battle!” Danni smirked as she stuffed various colored paper cartridges in the pockets of the overalls. Nami then noticed that Paulie, the other shipwrights, and members of the Franky Family were red faced and a few had nosebleeds. She raised an eyebrow and asked, “What’s wrong?”  


Danni looked at them with a raised eyebrow as well, silently asking the same question. “You changed in here without a moment’s notice! You scandalous women!!” Paulie shouted, face red and fist clenched. The other men were holding their noses and holding up a thumbs up, muttering, ‘Nice scandal.’  


Nami shrugged, “It couldn’t be helped. There’s only one car after all.”  


“What? You didn’t enjoy the view?” Danni snickered. Her comment left the embarrassed shipwright gaping like a fish and cheeks flushed a bright red.

Dark

“Yeah!!” Luffy said firmly. “I got it!” Danni glanced at her captain and sighed silently. He got it, sure, but she just knew he wasn’t going to follow the plan. She glanced at the rest of her crew and nearly sighed again. They really should know by now that Luffy never follows plans. The gunner moved so she was next to Luffy and wrapped her arm around his.  


He looked at her in confusion, and she merely cocked an eyebrow back, eyes daring him to tell her no. He grinned and nodded, telling her that he’d take her with him. Luffy barely stayed to listen to the explanation of Enies Lobby, before he took his gunner out of the train and jumped for the black gate in front of them. Danni held on tightly as they flew through the air and landed on one of the buildings bearing a flag.  


Luffy stared at the view with wide eyes and exclaimed, “Ehh? What’s this? What a big hole!! The island’s floating in mid-air!!” Danni stared with wide eyes and was dragging away from said staring by shots being fired at them.  


“We’ve got company, Luffy,” she stated blandly, dodging a stray bullet. Luffy merely laughed and launched them over the gate, careful of her wound despite the reckless jump. The moment they landed they were attacked, and Danni was a whirl of dark hair and flashing bullets, as she and Luffy battered their way through towards the next closed gate.  


Their landing was right in the middle of a circle of sneering men. “Hey, Straw-Hat Luffy, woman,” one of the men called out. “Where’s the rest of your army?” Laughter run through the air, but neither Luffy nor Danni was amused. “Enies Lobby’s forces number in the ten thousands!!”  


“Yeah, so?” Luffy scoffed, pounding a fist in his hand. “You’re in our way. Get out of it.” He glared at them, his straw hat shadowing his face.  


Danni sneered at the group, and snapped, “And for the record? My name isn’t _woman _, its Danni _Beckman _.” She hadn’t realized scaring people like that would be so much fun. Their shocked faces would be a treasured memory.____

Shadows

Danni hid in the shadows, frowning down at her side, but keeping one eye on the battle between Luffy and that cow guy. Luffy hadn’t allowed her to even think about joining in and she would respect that. She had managed to hide herself without getting the cow guy’s attention, and she hoped to keep it that way.  


Closing her eyes, she sunk to the floor tiredly, rubbing her eyes. Somehow, she hadn’t managed to tear her wound from Lucci open, but she had gained quite a few cuts and bruises. She could also tell that she was reaching her limit. She started to clean her rifle and pistol, prepping them for whenever she would have to fight next.  


“Oh? What do we have here?” a bland voice questioned, tone completely disinterested despite the question. Danni jolted, automatically pointing her revolver at the owner of the voice. The man was tall and thin with messy, white hair pulled back into a long ponytail. His eyes were an empty red, and his skin was practically snow white, standing out in stark contrast to the black clothing he was dressed in. “A mouse in hiding?”  


She shot, but he casually dodged the bullet and she took the moment to stand on her feet, easily stowing away her cleaning supplies. She eyed him warily, readying her gun for another shot and saying, “Not really.”  


The man cocked his head to the side, expression never changing, “Pity. I like mice.” She licked her lips, trying to ignore the aura that was practically oozing from the albino. He blinked at her slowly, and studied her, “Hmm. Uses guns. Must be a long range fighter; weak in hand to hand. How boring.” Danni felt her eyebrow twitch. Why was it that everyone assumed she either never shot, or couldn’t do short range!?  


She barely ducked in time as a kick was aimed at her and the compressed air sliced through the wall she’d been leaning against. She rolled across the floor, pulling her rifle off her back as she did so, ending the roll with her on one knee and gun settled on her shoulder. She tore a black paper cartridge open, bending back to avoid another kick that nearly took her head off.  


Not even waiting for her opponent to retract his leg, she threw the cartridge in the air and spun her rifle so that the butt of it slammed into the albino’s knee. Then flipping it again she shot the paper cartridge that was fluttering down, spilling a shiny black powder. The bullet ripped through the paper and the powder exploded everywhere. The albino’s face didn’t change as he jumped back, knee completely undamaged, looking at her with his head cocked to the side.  


“What’d you do that for?” he asked, voice holding no actual curiosity. She merely quirked an eyebrow at him and didn’t answer. He shrugged and flew towards her again, his fingernails growing in length and sharpness as he did so. Her eyes widened and she leapt to the side, but she wasn’t quiet fast enough and the nails caught her bare arm and blood flew through the air.  


Danni let out a muffled curse spinning on her foot and lashing out with her other leg. “ _Tekkai _,” the pale haired man said blandly, not moving an inch. Her leg smashed into his side, but he didn’t budge an inch and she winced as pain laced up her leg. Scowling, the gunner moved to skip a few steps back, but her opponent gripped her leg with spidery fingers.  
__

Her eyes widened, and she had no time to react before she was lifted into the air and swung around. Fingers let go of her leg and she smashed into the wall, the cement cracking and shattering from the force. She didn’t have any time to recover from the crash before a foot was implanted in her stomach, just barely missing her wound. She wheezed, coughing harshly and unable to block the fist that slammed into chest. Her bones creaked at the abuse and she gritted her teeth harshly. She tried to keep track of her opponent, but she could barely see him and thus had no chance to block the blow that snapped her head back and into the cement.  


Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, and she had _enough _. Her eyes snapped open (having closed at the force of the last blow) and she dodged the incoming dagger like nails that would’ve pierced her through the chest had she not. Luffy was getting close to done with his fight. Danni felt rather calm actually; _focused _.  
____

Her opponent blinked at her mildly and then said flatly, “ _Soru _.”  
__

He disappeared and she knew he was going to come in from the right with his nails. She moved her rifle, blocking the blow that sent her skidded back slightly. The albino’s eyes widened just the slightest bit as he stared at her, and it cost him. The muzzle of one of her pistols pushed against his stomach and she pulled the trigger, saying, “ _Compact Outbreak Crash _.” A red glow shined from the pistol as the black bullet flew from the gun and forced its way against the albino’s stomach. He had apparently just managed to use _Tekkai _in time, but the force of the glowing bullet sent him flying back to where the exploded black cartridge had sent its powder everywhere.  
____

He skidded across the ground, the bullet sparking as it kept drilling against the armor. The sparks landed on the shiny powder and without any warning it solidified and exploded from the ground, bending over and around the albino, successfully trapping him. The glowing bullet lost its momentum and clattered to the ground. Danni scoffed, breathing heavily as she wiped the blood off her mouth with the back of her hand, “Damn, they wasted a bunch of our time.”

Powerless

“Robin! Is death really what you want?” Luffy shouted. Danni stood next to him, holding her rifle across her shoulders and staring at her fellow nakama across the way shrewdly. She was getting the feeling of being powerless and terror _for them _. A small frown tugged the corners of her lips and she huffed silently. Why couldn’t their nakama just trust in each other?  
__

A strange laughter was coming from the building across from them and Danni had to strain her ears to hear the slimy voice, “Listen to his grievous scream! I wonder what the look on his face is while saying that...!”  


Danni glanced over at her captain and fought the urge to face palm. Luffy was picking his nose with his pinky, as he shouted, “What the hell are you talking about, you!” There was startled scream from the sleazy voice and Danni felt Robin’s shock and confusion easily. There was a rumble from behind them, but she ignored it as Luffy continued to yell.  


“Listen, Robin!! We’ve come all the way here!” The ground behind them exploded, sending Nami and Chopper flying, before Nami landed safely, whereas Chopper landed on his head. “So we’re gonna rescue you anyways! And if you still want to die...THEN DIE AFTERWARDS!”  


Zoro pulled himself out of the hole, sighing nonchalantly, “This is what I should’ve done to climb up from the start.” Chopper whined clutching his head as he slowly got up.  


Nami, on the other hand, stomped her foot and shrieked, “I knew it was you! We’re only alive because we took an indirect hit!! If we’d been hit directly, we’d be dead by now!”  


Another explosion sounded as Sanji kicked his way through the roof, and Zoro ignored Nami looking over at the explosion in confusion as he said, “Ah? What’s going on?”  


Danni blinked slowly, not even bothering to look behind her as Sanji and Zoro began fighting and then Usopp (why was he wearing a mask again?) was flying through the air towards them. “Well,” she muttered to herself. “At least our crew knows how to make an entrance.” Luffy snickered next to her, pinky thankfully no longer in his nose.  


The captain then turned serious as he returned his attention to Robin, and shouted, “I beg of you, Robin! I don’t care what you want, whether you choose to live or die! But whatever you decide...SAY IT WHILE YOU’RE WITH US!” By now, everyone was standing on the roof, faces serious as Luffy shouted in determination, “Now, leave everything to us!!”

Heart

Danni’s eyes flashed and her lips curled up in disgust. “He is the scum of the earth,” she hissed, tightening her grip around her rifle and wishing she could just smash it into Spandam’s face. Repeatedly. She could feel Robin’s pain acutely and it nearly shattered her heart.  


“If you commence the Buster Call right now,” Robin panted. “Enies Lobby will be destroyed...along with all of us with it!!”  


“That’s insane!! Our own people won’t be killed! Quit your mindless babbling!!” Spandam yelled, annoyance prevalent. Danni sneered, knuckles white from the force of her grip around her rifle, while her other hand reached out and curled around the bottom of Luffy’s vest as a grounding from Robin’s turbulent emotions.  


Robin stared at him in disbelief as she said, “20 years ago...The Buster Call took everything away from me. It ruined the lives of so many people. Just one attack.” There was a beat of silence and then she continued in a heart wrenching voice, “And now that very attack is being targeted at my true friends; the only ones I’ve placed faith in.”  


There was the barest sound of a hitch in breath before the normally collected woman, shouted, “The longer I stay with them, the more I betray and endanger them! No matter where I go in this world, I will always have enemies destined to destroy me!! Only because my enemies are the “world” and it’s “darkness”!!”  


Danni suddenly understood now, just who Robin’s enemy was. She glanced at Luffy, whose face was still set in its fierce determination, and knew he had figured it out as well. “First, it was Aokiji, and now it’s this!! I have trapped you within danger twice!” Robin screamed, her heart crying out and Danni felt like crying herself. “Even though you’re all so kind... If this keeps up, then you will only see me as a burden to uphold forever! You will eventually betray and abandon me!! It’s inevitable, and that’s what I’m most afraid of! That’s why I didn’t want any of you to rescue me!!”  


Danni felt her eyebrow twitch, and even though she knew where Robin was coming from, would it kill her to have a little to trust in her nakama? “If I ever want to die, then I’ll wish for it to be right here and now!!”  


Zoro sighed, “So that’s why.”  


Spandam let out a slimy laugh as he shouted, holding his arms out, “I realize it now seems to make sense!” He turned to Robin, still laughing wildly, “Yeah, that’s why! It’s so stupid for anyone to lug you around all the time!!” Danni snarled lowly, hands itching to just shoot the man in the face and be done with his stupidity.  


Spandam pointed up at the flag that was fluttering in the wind and shouted, “Take a look at that flag, pirates!! It bears a symbol representing the pact between 170 nations! It spans over the four blue seas and the entire grand line! It is the WORLD! Do you realize what small-fries you really are!? You have no idea how great the federation this woman is being trailed by!!”  
Luffy’s face didn’t change, “I know who Robin’s enemies are. Sogeking.” Usopp hummed back in question and Luffy answered, “I want you to burn that flag down.”  


“Roger,” Usopp responded immediately. Danni ignored the dramatic teen’s explanation of his new weapon, keeping her eyes focused on Robin, even when a streak of flames flew through the air, taking the form of a large bird and burning the World Government’s flag to ashes. Robin looked at them with wide eyes and disbelief coursing through her. Danni could also sense a flicker of hope deep, deep down inside of the older woman.  


There multiple shouts of disbelief, but the one that stood out the most was the collective shout of, “The pirates have now waged war against the World Government!”  


Spandam sputtered in shock and fear as he yelled in panic, “You all are crazy!! Do you really think you have a chance against the entire world!?”  


Luffy’s expression was fierce and close to feral as he clenched his fists and threw his head back and yelled, “YEAH!!” Spandam stumbled back in shock, and Robin had tears starting to drip down her face. Danni let a smile curl her lips. The show was about to start. “Robin!! I haven’t heard you say it yet!!” Robin looked down at him in bafflement and confusion. “SAY YOU WANNA LIVE!!”  


Danni nearly slipped at the sudden tidal wave of emotions. The bafflement. The confusion. The hurt of past pains that had never truly faded. Then the seed of hope buried under the shadows of grief and pain fluttered and bloomed. Robin had tears and snot streaming down her fast as she screamed with so much emotion it made Danni start to tear up, “I WANNA LIVE! TAKE ME WITH YOU TO THE BLUE SEAS!!”  


Danni let a feral grin spread across her face as the drawbridge started to lower itself. Luffy pounded his fists together, his own wide smile threatening to split his face in half as he howled, “HERE WE COME!!” Let the show begin!

Muzzle

“Would you stop saying nope with each door you open?” Danni grumbled, rubbing her nose in irritation. It hadn’t stopped itching since they’d reached this hall full of doors, and it was making her a bit snappish. Usopp scratched the back of his head sheepishly, before he recovered his usual pride and opened the next door with a laugh.  


“Have they all fled from me?” he asked cheerfully, stepping into the new room.  


Danni gave him a deadpan look and retorted flatly, “Doubtful.” She then turned her attention to the room and promptly got slammed with a plethora of flora scents. She gagged silently, hunching over and covering her nose. She breathed heavily through her mouth and followed Usopp automatically as he made his way forward towards the source of the snoring.  


She had the brief thought of what the hell the normally cowardly teen was doing going straight towards the enemy, before it was shattered to pieces as she got the sudden image of Usopp being slammed against the wall with a powerful blow to the face. She forced herself to ignore all the clamoring scents, just in time to see a rooster chirp and Usopp to scream, “Roosters don’t crow like that!!”  


“Usopp—” Danni started, but had to stop herself as her chest clenched painfully. She could taste blood welling up in the back of her throat and she nearly whimpered. The room had blooming ferrywings planted somewhere.  


The large man on the floor blinked his eyes open, “Oh? You’ve come, pirates.” He stood lazily, picking up the key nonchalantly up from the ground as he did so, yawning, “Now then. Shall I wreak some havoc?”  


Danni just barely managed to push her crewmate out of the way and take the powerful blow intended for the sniper on her side. There was an audible snap as she flew back and smashed into the wall, which shattered upon contact. Blood poured from her mouth as she coughed harshly, clutching her side tightly. She could feel her cracked rib, and was just thankful it hadn’t punctured her lung.  


The gunner forced herself to stand, brushing the back of her hand against her mouth, smearing the blood on her hand and on her face in the process. Usopp was scrambling to his feet even as he crab walked backwards and away from the now awake CP9 agent. “Ehh. I meant to hit the boy,” the agent yawned, taking a swig of his gourd that from the smell of it was some good quality alcohol. Danni coughed harshly, blood splattering across her palm.  


“Well, sucks for you,” she growled, clearing her throat and spitting a glob of blood off to the side. She shifted her grip on her rifle, readying it like a bat rather than a gun.  


The man laughed, rubbing his mouth as he grinned, “I’m sorry for attacking all of a sudden. That was painful, wasn’t it?” Danni scowled at him, shrugging her shoulders and deigning to give no reply. “But don’t worry...” His body began to morph, much like Lucci’s had, and she took a startled step back as the man morphed into a humanoid wolf. “Despite my appearance, torment isn’t how I do things.”  


Usopp let out a startled yell, falling back on his butt from where he had managed to stand. The force of Jyabura’s transformation made the wind pick up, and thus Danni’s nose was assaulted once again with ferrywing. She hunched over coughing brutally and even more blood splashed against her palms, slipping through her fingers. Whatever Jyabura was going to say, was ignored in favor of peering closer at the woman and taking a deep sniff. He gave her a narrowed eyed stare and stated, “You’re sick. Fatally.”  


She managed to glare up at him and snap back with a snarl, “Your point?”  


He gave her a measured stare before scoffing, “I don’t want to fight someone already dying. They’re too weak.” Danni’s eyes flashed and she straightened immediately, deeply insulted.  


Her lip curled up dangerously and she quipped, “You want a muzzle, puppy?”  


He was about to respond, lips pressed back in a furious snarl, when his attention was diverted from her and to something behind her, “Hey, what are you doing? You don’t look that strong.”  


Behind her, Usopp was standing once more and readying his new slingshot as he shouted back, “Shut up! I’m up to it no matter what! I came all the way here to rescue Robin!” Dust and a suddenly ominous rumbling successfully distracted all three of them as they stared up at the ceiling. Usopp gaped and stuttered, “The ceiling’s caving in!”

Key

Danni couldn’t help but stare at the...giraffe and the wolf (who was laughing hysterically), blinking wildly. “You have got to be shitting me,” she muttered under her breath, muffling her harsh coughing with her shoulder.  


Zoro gave her a sharp look and snapped under his breath, “Oi, what’s wrong? You haven’t overworked your body.” The swordsman knew her limits very well, and knew she hadn’t overworked herself quite yet. It would take a little longer before that point was hit, and he knew she would push past it anyways.  


She grimaced at him and answered shortly, “There’s blooming ferrywing in this blasted room.” Zoro snarled silently, but was startled when something suddenly clicked around his wrist. Danni jolted slightly when she felt something cold closing shut around her own wrist, and she looked down with wide eyes.  


The two gaped down at their now handcuffed together hands, before whipping their heads around to look at Usopp who had let out a shocked yell and then, “Shit! Sorry, Zoro, Danni!”  


As one the two shouted back furiously, “Hey, what the hell are you doing!?” Danni swore if the teen didn’t have a good answer she was going to whoop his ass when she was out of these cuffs. Usopp sweat dropped and fidgeted nervously.  


“They’re—I figured those were seastone cuffs, like the ones they were talking about earlier. And I thought, well, since we’re fighting against devil fruit users, I thought they’d be weakened by those if they wore them!” the teen called back, trying not to shrink at the furious glare Danni was shooting him (which looked a lot more demonic with blood smeared around her mouth).  


Zoro’s eyebrow twitched and he shouted, “And why the hell did you think _we _needed them on, huh!?”  
__

Usopp shivered and shouted back, trying to ignore the withering glare as he pointed at Kaku, “C-cause the face of the giraffe was so funny...my hand just slipped!!” Danni tensed at that as a sudden dark aura exploded outward.  


“I’ve had just about enough!!” Kaku snarled, before he started swinging himself around. Danni shared a look with Zoro and the two rushed at Usopp, tackling him to the ground. The gunner got a terrible sinking feeling in her gut when she felt something cold click shut around her other wrist.  


Zoro sat up, one of his swords drawn and scowled, “I see. _Reach _, huh. Between the centrifugal force and the power of that humongous body, his attacks have become deeper and sharper.”  
__

Usopp sat up, looking around in confusion, and Danni was forced to follow both of their movements as her wrists were tugged with the motions and the sinking feeling grew to epic proportions. “Wha-what? Hey, nothing’s broken!” Zoro glanced over at the teen and told him to look at the ceiling. “Huh? Why can I see the sky up there?” As it sunk into the sniper’s head on why exactly he could see the sky he had a monumental freak out.  


Danni felt like she wanted to cry as she stood with the boys, the clinking of the chains finally getting their attention. The two gaped down at the connected handcuffs attached to both of Danni’s wrists and one of their own. Zoro immediately glared at Usopp and yelled, “What the hell do you think you’re doing!?”  


Usopp was crying as he shouted back, “It’s not my fault!! You rushed into me; that’s how we got like this!”  


Zoro’s eyebrow twitched and he yelled right back, “Because you were just standing there, spacing out! Ugh, nevermind! Just get this shit off!” Danni kept her face blank as the two children cuffed to her fought around her like she wasn’t even there. Of course, it was a bit nice that they weren’t blaming it on her (granted it wasn’t her fault anyways, but hey).  


“I don’t have the key!” Usopp snapped back.  


Danni froze and she turned to look at the younger teen with a demonic face as she whispered, “ _What. _” Zoro’s own exclamation of what died in his throat at the acidic tone the normally calm woman was using. Usopp whimpered piteously.  
__

Swallowing heavily, the sniper managed to stammer out, “Basically, we’re in the same position as Robin. One of the CP9 agents has the keys to our cuffs. We have to beat them to get it.”  


“Don’t be stupid! How can we fight them like this?” Zoro growled raising his and Danni’s connected wrists up for emphasis. Danni was getting rather annoyed with the bickering on both sides of the battle.  


“Hey, guys! Tell us the numbers on your handcuffs!” Kaku shouted at them suddenly.  


Usopp blinked at them and asked, “Numbers?” The two CP9 agents proceeded to explain the system of keys and handcuffs and Usopp immediately searched the cuffs for the numbers. “Two and three! Please open it!!”  


Both agents looked at the back of their keys. “Not mine,” Jyabura sighed.  


“Not mine, either,” Kaku grumbled. “How disappointing.”  


In a completely flat voice, Danni said, “Usopp, I am going to murder you brutally when we get out of these cuffs.” The sniper whimpered and Zoro gave the woman a wary look.

Blood

Zoro started when Danni’s body shuddered and froze suddenly. He looked over at her and had to refrain from flinching back violently. Danni’s eyes had gone completely lifeless and her body was completely slack, barely even standing. Usopp looked at her with wide eyes and stuttered, “Danni!? What’s wrong?”  


The trio had stopped running, and the CP9 agents were catching up, but everyone froze when the gunner’s head snapped back and her mouth opened wide as a piercing, blood curdling scream cracked through the air. Her eyes suddenly cleared as her scream abruptly stopped and she coughed, blood spilling past her lips, “Ch-chopper...”  


Zoro looked at her in confusion, “Chopper?” As if in answer to his name, a humongous monster smashed through the wall with a loud roar. The creature was wearing Chopper’s hat and shorts, but everything else about it made it hard to see the cute doctor anywhere in it. It sniffed the air before its eyes zeroed in on the handcuffed trio and with another great roar it began chasing after them smashing things in its path with its hands.  


“Hey!! Is that really Chopper!? How come he doesn’t recognize us!?” Zoro shouted, looking at Danni, who had tears and snot dripping down her face, which was smearing together with the blood already caked on it.  


She moaned, struggling to keep up with the fast pace. “It is Chopper, but Chopper’s _lost _,” she stammered voice cracking as she coughed and sniffled. She continued to cry, barely keeping herself from sobbing at the darkness threatening to overtake her and swallow her whole. Just like Chopper. She let out another whimper at the thought and the emptiness surrounding her heart.  
__

“But then what about our keys?” Zoro asked wincing at the lost look Danni shot him, as if she was asking how come he wasn’t fixing this.  


Usopp had tears streaming down his face, but it was more out of sheer terror than anything else. “Don’t know. This is it. We’ll die here—,” the teen moaned.  


Zoro’s eyes flashed and he snarled, “No we’re not!” He then glanced back at Chopper, who looked as if he were sweating and was wheezing heavily. “Besides, isn’t... _he _the one who looks about to die?” The three stopped running as Monster Chopper had stopped chasing them, standing in place panting heavily. “His vitality seems to be decreasing drastically...”  
__

Danni whimpered, threading her fingers with Zoro’s as best as she could and gripping them tight. Zoro winced, looking down at her with worry, considering she was beginning to look sickly pale, and was trembling slightly. “Wh-what do you mean?” Usopp asked, also looking at Danni worriedly.  


“Maybe he’s using too much energy to stay in that form. If he stays like that, he might collapse at any time!” the swordsman theorized, looking up at the monstrous form warily.  


Danni’s ears perked slightly as Kaku said, “...What an interruption. What is that monster?” She turned her head to look at the two agents, her tears slowly coming to a stop.  
“Of course he interrupts. He’s probably one of those pirates,” Jyabura scoffed, glaring at the monster. Danni slowly straightened, still keeping her eyes trained on the two zoan fruit users.  


Kaku hummed, and said, “Buster Call is coming soon, too.” Danni snarled, a surge of anger overcoming her as her mind connected the conclusion the two enemies were going to come to about Chopper. It wasn’t about to happen on her watch. With the hand connected to Usopp she shoved it into the pocket of her overalls, and pulled out a bright yellow paper cartridge. The teen stared at her with wide eyes behind his mask, letting his arm go slack so she could move her hand with “relative” ease.  


She ripped the cartridge open and poured it down the muzzle of one of her pistols she had Usopp grab with his free hand, before shoving the bullet down after it. The flash pan had already been primed and filled, and the gun only needed to be shot now. She turned to the still wide eyed teen and ordered, “Shoot this at them, and don’t you dare miss.”  


The sniper straightened his back and nodded firmly, grasping the pistol with a practiced hand and aiming it at the two agents about to attack _their _nakama. He wasn’t going to let that happen, even if he wasn’t a part of the crew anymore! He pulled the trigger and the recoil came back harshly, but with the help of Danni, his shoulder wasn’t wrenched out of its socket. The bullet was lost in the glowing stream of bright yellow that ripped up the floor in its path.  
__

The two agents dodged to the side as the bullet landed in between them, but they couldn’t avoid the sudden explosion the collision with the ground caused. They were thrown back even further, and an unfamiliar voice called out, “Get outta the way, guys!”  


Zoro turned his head and yelled at Franky, who had his hands up and pointed at Chopper, “Franky!! What are you doing!? He’s our—”  


Franky cut him off, “I know! Just shut up! I don’t see any other way to take care of this. Devil Fruit users have one weakness. I’ll push him down into the ocean! I’ll adjust the power, so please bear with it!!” Chopper let out another explosive roar. “Coup de Vent!” The force slammed into Chopper and sent him careening into the wall and through it and thus down into the ocean.  


“Franky! You bastard! What the hell did you—” Usopp started yelling, but Nami’s voice interrupted him.  


“Don’t worry; we had it all planned out from the beginning,” the orange haired navigator said, coming up from behind them as their position was covered by the dust from the crash. Danni looked back at the girl, sniffing hard, but thankfully no longer crying. Nami didn’t give any reaction to the state the older woman was in and merely held up two keys with a wide grin, “You guys need something?”

Anxiety

Danni couldn’t shake the anxiety clawing at her stomach. She had no doubt that Luffy would win, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that cost of winning would be rather high. She shoved the thoughts away, continuing to focus on running, trying to ignore the water rushing at them from behind. She wasn’t able to give much more to thinking as they ran into Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp and the water swallowed them completely.  


Danni tried to hold her breath as best as she could, but darkness was beginning to blur her vision as the water tossed her about violently. Just as she was about to lose all of her breath, she was suddenly being pulled by something that she thought was supposed to be a...mermaid? She stared, unable to do much else as she and her nakama were pulled along by Kokoro, who suddenly now had a fish tail.  


Her vision began to darken again but just as she was about to black out completely, they broke the surface. She gasped, gulping in big breaths of fresh air as they all smashed into the deck of a ship. Unlike her fellow crewmates she wasn’t as so in deathly shock over Kokoro’s visage, so she managed to roll onto her knees and cough violently, blood splashing on the deck as she held herself up on trembling arms.  


She panted harshly, struggling to climb on her feet, but her body wasn’t responding to her will. She was startled when large hands helped her to her feet and she looked up and was greeted by the sight of Franky (that was his name, right?). “Thank you,” she mumbled, voice hoarse and cracking slightly. She tried to let go and stand on her own, but her legs refused to cooperate, and this time it was Zoro who kept her from falling face first.  


He gave her a level stare and said sternly, “Sit down and rest, Danni.” She opened her mouth to protest, but thought better of it and simply nodded instead. He easily picked her up in his arms and carried her over to where the mast was, and set her down against it easily. She sighed wearily and closed her eyes to take a little power nap, keeping her ears open for anything that she needed. Zoro gave her an exasperated look and shake of his head.

Harsh

“This is bad,” Danni muttered, smashing her rifle into another marine’s head before kicking him straight in the groin. She was further away from her crew and thus couldn’t really call out to them that it really was impossible for Luffy to move. It was a harsh reality, but it was the truth. She would know.  


She winced as an explosion rocked from behind, destroying their getaway ship. The blast nearly swept her off her feet, but she managed to keep her balance and start making her way towards the rest of her crew. She made it there about the same time as Sanji and tried to stay calm even though they were now stuck on the prop and surrounded by marine warships.  


Underneath everyone’s screams for Luffy, Danni could hear a voice. Blinking, she cocked her head to the side, drifting over to the edge of the prop. “Who...?” She fell to her knees next to Usopp, looking down at the sea in confusion.  


“Jump into the ocean!!” Usopp shouted, voice rising above all of the noise and confusion. “Into the ocean!” Zoro looked over in confusion, calling out the sniper’s name. Danni continued to stare down at the ocean, face screwed up into a look of concentration. “Robin, can you drop Luffy into the ocean?”  


Robin nodded, “Leave it to me!”  


The gunner’s head shot up and she called out before Zoro could open his mouth to shout at Usopp, “Everyone into the ocean! We’ve got one more nakama!” Zoro looked at her and she stared back seriously, as Robin got Luffy into the ocean. Finally, the swordsman nodded and everyone began to leap into the ocean.  


Danni couldn’t stop the tears from spilling over as the Going Merry arrived beneath them. “ _—Let’s go back, everyone! Back to the sea of adventure again!! I’ve come to take you home! _” Danni let out a jubilant laugh as she landed in the ocean next to the ship that had carried them across the Grand Line and flew through the sky. She quickly swam over, the tiredness of her body seeming to disappear at the reappearance of their beloved ship.  
__

She pulled herself up the ship and hugged the railing, whispering, “Thank you, Merry.”

Doubtless

“I’m...seeing a miracle, right now,” Iceburg said solemnly. “A miracle from a ship that has reached its limit a long time ago.” Luffy looked startled and Danni had no doubt that the shipwright’s words were true. “I’ve been a shipwright for many years, yet I have never seen such an amazing pirate ship... It lived a very admirable life.”  


Danni bit her lip, her fingers digging into Merry’s railing. Luffy closed his eyes, sighing deeply, “I understand.” Nami covered her mouth, eyes tearing up. Soon, everyone was on one of the small ships from the Galley-La’s ship, while Luffy stood on a dinghy boat in front of the Going Merry holding a torch in one hand. “Then, are you ready, guys?”  


All of the Straw-Hat’s gave affirmative answers, and Luffy stretched out the torch towards Merry. “Merry, the bottom of the sea is dark and lonely,” Luffy started. “We’ll see you off here.” He swallowed, but stayed firm. “Maybe it’s for the best that Usopp…isn’t around... There’s no way he can endure this...”  


Zoro glanced over at Usopp and asked, “And what do you say to that?”  


Danni didn’t look over at them, but she did keep one ear on them, as she held onto the edge of Zoro’s shirt to ground herself from the myriad of emotions felt by her crew. “He’ll be alright,” Usopp started solemnly. “A time of separation has come. When men part ways, tears should not be involved in it. He’s fully prepared for this moment.”  


Merry was set ablaze and Luffy stared at it solemnly as he said, “Thank you for carrying us all this time, Merry.” Danni bit her lip and let her tears flow freely as all of her memories of their ship flowed into her mind. All the times she had taken comfort in the crow’s nest with Usopp telling her wild stories. Her time’s spent in the kitchen with Sanji. Taking naps together with Zoro and Luffy against the mast. Braiding Nami and Robin’s hair and getting her own hair braiding by them. Visits with Chopper. The drinking contests...the stories...the sheer _joy _of being _together _.  
“ _I’m sorry _.” Danni started, her fingers tightening their grip on Zoro’s shirt as she stared at Merry with wide eyes. Everyone was staring at the ship, some with teary eyes, others with solemn looks. “ _I wanted to carry you just a little bit further...I’m sorry. I wanted to go on more adventures with you... _” Danni sobbed, the emotions becoming almost too overwhelming for her to bear. “ _But I... _”  
__________

Luffy cut Merry off by shouting, tears thick in his voice, “We’re the ones who have to apologize, Merry!! I’m not good at navigating, and I crashed you into an iceberg! I even ripped the sails, sometimes! Zoro and Sanji are idiots, so they broke many things, too! Usopp always tried to fix you every time, but he’s not good at that either! We’re so sorry—”  


“ _But I was...happy. Thank you for taking care of me until now. I was really happy. _”  
__

Danni threw her head back and sobbed loudly, eyes screwed shut as tears and snot dripped down her face. She brought her hands up to her face to cover it, and couldn’t even begin to stop crying. All of the emotions and _memories _.  
__

_Goodbye, Merry. ___

Family

“Eh, dad?” Luffy asked. “What do you mean dad? I have a dad?” Danni frowned as she moved towards the ridiculously large crowd surrounding a _hole _in the wall of the place they were currently staying in. What on earth was going on?  
__

“Oh, what? He didn’t introduce himself? I heard he saw you off in Loguetown,” an unfamiliar voice answered her captain. Frown deepening, she elbowed a marine in her way, giving him a scathing glare when he yelped and protested at her.  


“What’s my dad like?” Luffy asked. Danni knew the other’s had said things, but she couldn’t really hear them. She shoved another marine out of the way, ignoring the urge to take her rifle off her back and just batter through them all.  


“You father’s name is _Monkey D. Dragon _, the Revolutionary,” the unfamiliar voice responded. Danni barely managed to not get herself trampled as everyone within hearing distance freaked out. She finally managed to make it to the front, shouldering her rifle irritably.  
__

She somehow managed to go unnoticed by everyone as they were freaking out and Luffy (clueless as ever) received an explanation of just _who _exactly his dad was. “Ack!! Maybe I shouldn’t have said that!” the unfamiliar voice said, and she finally got a look at the old man that was speaking. Oh. It was Garp the Fist. Luffy sure had an interesting family tree. “Then nevermind what I just said!”  
__

“Geez, captain,” Danni said, somehow easily heard over everyone’s exclamation of disbelief. “You sure attract some odd company.”  


Luffy turned to her with a large smile, “Danni!” The gunner was carrying a bag in one hand, and had her rifle slung over her back as per usual, but didn’t have any of her revolvers or pistol. They had been irreparably damaged by the water back on Enies Lobby, while her rifle, made of a rather rare material, hadn’t gotten any water damage whatsoever. “Where’ve you been?”  


She switched the unlit cigarette to the other side of her mouth and shrugged, “I needed more ammo and new guns.” She then noticed she was being stared at rather intently by Garp and she quirked a calm eyebrow at the marine. “What?”  


“You’re the daughter of Benn Beckman, aren’t you?” the marine asked, causing another large shocked reaction, her crew included (sans Luffy).  


Her response only furthered the shock, “Yeah, so?”

Last

“Oh, the new bounty posters,” Yasopp said idly, pulling them out and flicking through them lazily, before he hit a certain name. He stopped and stared. Straw-Hat Luffy. 300, 000, 000 Belli. The smiling image and words stared up at him as if mocking him. He hurriedly flipped through the rest of them and gaped when he reached another one with a rather familiar face on it.  


Dark Breaker Danni. 99, 000, 000 Belli.  


Clutching the two posters the sharp shooter dashed across the deck yelling, “Captain! Captain! Benn!! You’re gonna wanna take a look at these!!” The rest of the crew watched as the dreadlocked man ran across the deck to their still irritated captain, who had looked up at the shout, as had Benn who was leaning back against the railing, smoking. The last time Yasopp had ran yelling across the deck, some poor unfortunate soul had paid the price.  


“What is it, Yasopp?” Shanks asked, smothering most of his irritation at Whitebeard away to see what had one of his close friends shouting. He promptly got a face full of papers for his question and he sputtered as he swiped them from the sniper and gave him a miffed glare, which the man shrugged off easily. “Now, what’s got you in such a—”  


The redhead had to stop as he stared at the two bounty posters in his hands. He wasn’t all to surprised to see Luffy, though he had to wonder what the hell Anchor did to get such a large bounty increase, it was the second one that caught him by surprise.  


The picture was of a dark haired girl with lazy eyes that had dark bags under them and had an unlit cigarette in her mouth as she stared at the camera with a raised eyebrow. He blinked. Once. Then twice. Before he blurted out, “Benn, when did your daughter become a pirate?”  


The smoker looked over with an incredulous look and asked, “What?”  


Shanks shoved the poster at his first mate, saying, “Your daughter. She’s a pirate. With a high first bounty, too.” Benn simply stared down at the picture of the girl that was of a surety his little Danni, and couldn’t stop the proud feeling bubbling up inside of him.

Bleak

“It shouldn’t be night yet...,” Zoro muttered gazing out at the sea and the thick fog surrounding them. “The fog’s so thick, it’s eerily dark.”  


Danni leaned against Sunny’s railing, one hand resting on her cheek as she blinked idly out at the sea, “It is a bit bleak, isn’t it?” Zoro snickered, shooting a grin at her, which was returned with an added eyebrow wiggle.  


Franky wandered over looking around and saying, “Could it be that we’ve entered that part of the ocean already? My heart’s not ready yet!” Danni shot the cyborg an amused look, which then turned to Usopp when the teen perked up.  


“Oh!? We’ve already arrived at Mermaid Island?” the sniper asked excitedly. Danni had to turn her face away to avoid bursting out into laughter.  


Luffy swung over, stating nonchalantly, “No, that ocean where monsters appear!” Usopp twitched, face beginning to pale.  


Danni bit her cheek to stop the laughter bubbling up inside of her as Franky side eyed Usopp with a heavily shadowed face and said, “That’s right. Don’t relax just yet. No doubt about it. This area is the famous Florien Triangle.” Usopp whimpered lowly, and Franky let a grin spread across his face as he finished, “The strange sea where almost everything disappears shrouded in fog.  


Usopp gaped, drenched in sweat and pale faced as he stuttered incoherently about monsters. Luffy grinned at his sniper widely, laughing cheerily, “Monsters show up here.”  


Usopp let out an unmanly shriek as he pointed wildly, trembling heavily as he shouted, “Don’t screw with me! Why’s everyone acting like they knew; I never heard about this!!”  
Luffy laughed from his perch on the railing, “Old Lady Kokoro told us there are living skeletons here.” Danni raised an eyebrow at that. Living skeletons? That sounded like fun.  


Sanji sighed, sticking a cigarette in his mouth, “That’s just your imagination, don’t scare him like that.” The blonde chef then turned to Usopp holding a lit match under his face as he said in an ominous tone, “Listen, Usopp. Every year in this ocean, over a hundred ships vanish mysteriously. What’s more, ghost ships carrying corpses wander these waters...or so they say.” He let out a little evil chuckle at the end turning away and actually lighting his cigarette.  


Usopp screamed shrilly, clutching his head, “This is awful! Say stuff like that beforehand!!”  


Sanji didn’t even turn around as he asked, “And if I had?”  


“Preparations! I’d fortify myself with stuff that wards off evil spirits!!” Usopp screeched, unaware of Danni who had started approaching him from behind silently a smirk stretched across her face. Chopper screamed as well asking the sniper to give him some of that stuff as well.  


Leaning in towards the back of Usopp’s head, the gunner blew air against the sniper’s ear and said shortly, but with a dark and ominous tone, “Boo.” Usopp leapt into the air with a rather girly screech, Chopper clinging to his leg and shivering. The two fell on the deck and everyone could now hear the sound of music. Danni blinked; slightly startled when she recognized the tune, turning to look in the direction the music was coming from with curiosity.  


Directly behind them was a humongous ship with tattered sails and decaying wood that was creaking and groaning sinisterly. Danni blinked, and then cocked her head to the side, holding her cheek with one hand, “Oh my.” Everyone else gaped at the ship (sans Robin) and screamed about a ghost ship. She was fairly sure Usopp and Chopper were foaming at the mouth. The music continued to drift through the air and there was definitely someone singing.  


The gunner merely watched as her captain run towards the ship excitedly, an amused smile on her face, even though the rest of her crew was in different levels of shock. “..In this ship...,” Robin started, staring up at the ghost ship. “Is there someone actually singing?”  


Zoro huffed, a smirk stretched across his face, “If it’s an enemy I’ll just cut them in half.”  


“Something’s there,” Sanji pointed out, taking a drag of his cigarette. Danni had noticed the shadowed figure as well, and was peering at it curiously, wondering if maybe it was a living skeleton, like Luffy had mentioned.  


The fog began to clear and the crew was treated to the sight of a skeleton with an afro drinking tea against the railing of the ghost ship. “How interesting,” Danni mused thoughtfully, causing most of the crew to turn to her incredulously. 

“Why are we going!?” Nami cried, though she still climbing up the rope ladder attached to the ghost ship. “We should turn back!”  


Luffy puffed his cheeks out and called back down, “I told you I was fine by myself!” Danni chuckled, glancing up at her captain with amusement.  


“No way! If you do something stupid and our ship gets cursed, then what?” Nami screeched. Danni cocked an eyebrow down at the girl, silently asking her what was she then? Nami gave her a pointed glare and tacked on, “You’d just laugh and stand by if Luffy got our ship cursed, Danni!” Danni hummed, turning her attention back to climbing. The navigator did have a point.  


“You were looking forward to the _treasure ship _, weren’t you Nami?” Luffy asked, lips stretched in a grin that said he was completely pumped for an adventure.  
__

Nami made a strangled noise and shouted back, “How is this the _treasure ship _!? You saw it didn’t you? The moving skeleton!”  
__

If anything, Luffy’s grin only widened as he laughed, “That’s the guardian of treasure! Let’s search for him first!”  


Danni blinked up at the railing of the ship where said skeleton was peering down at them. “I don’t believe we’ll have to look for him, captain,” the gunner pointed out. Nami and Sanji let out loud screams upon seeing said skeleton.  


“How do you do? Yohohoho~!” the skeleton greeted upon all of them reaching the deck. Danni peered at him curiously. She couldn’t believe there actually _was _a living skeleton. How interesting. “Pardon my earlier behavior! I met eyes with you before, yet could give no greeting!” He tipped his hat to them, holding a steaming cup of tea in his other hand. “What a surprise! It’s been decades, perhaps, since I’ve met a living person! (Danni narrowed her eyes at this.) All you see is ghost ship after ghost ship around these parts. So scary!”  
__

Luffy laughed gleefully, pointing (rather rudely) at the skeleton and exclaiming, “Look, he’s talking! The skeleton’s talking with his afro!!” Danni gave her captain an odd look. What the hell was that supposed to mean?  


“Now, now, do please come in!” the skeleton exclaimed cheerfully, before he noticed Nami and said, “My, my, what a lovely young woman over there! Be-au-ti-ful~!”  


Nami held her hands up nervously, swallowing hard, “Uhm...no, that’s...”  


The rather dapper skeleton continued, not having heard her, “I’ve never set eyes on such a beauty!! Cause skeletons don’t have eyes! Yohohoho~!” Suddenly in a very polite voice he asked, “Perhaps you would be so kind as to show me your panties?”  


Nami immediately got over her nervousness and smashed her foot into his head shrieking, “Like hell I’d show you!”  


He fell down with another one of his laughs, saying, “My, my, how severe! I felt that down to my bones! Just down to my skeleton!!”  


“Just shut up!!” Nami yelled, fists clenched.  


Danni couldn’t stop the laughter from bubbling over, and she leaned against Luffy, who laughing just as hard, face nearly split in half from his grin. The skeleton hopped back up and moved towards Danni, “My, another beauty! Would you be so kind as to show me _your _panties?”  
__

The gunner stopped laughing abruptly and straightened, lips stretched in a chillingly polite smile as she answered in an equally polite tone, “No.” A shiver ran down the skeleton’s spine and he had the thought that it would be best not to ask this woman that question again, lest he wanted to be blown to smithereens.  


If anything, Luffy laughed even harder, before he asked, “Can you poop?”  


“There are all sorts of questions you should ask before that one!!” Sanji yelled at his captain, voice a little shriller than usual. Danni gave the man an odd look. Why would that question be an option in the first place?  


“Indeed I do,” the skeleton answered easily.  


Sanji rounded on him, shouting, “Don’t answer!!” Then pointing a finger, continued, “First!! You’re nothing but bones, so how can you walk and talk? What the hell are you? Why are you here? What happened on this ship? Tell us everything that’s going on these waters!”  


Danni cocked an eyebrow at the chef, but ignored the rudeness as Luffy had planted his hands on his hips and was standing in front of them. She just knew what was about to come out of his mouth. “Before that, become our nakama!” the captain ordered, grinning widely.  


Surprisingly, the skeleton answered rather promptly, “Yes, very well then.” Danni chuckled into her hand as Sanji and Nami shrieked in shock at the exchange, but she glanced at her captain and had to wonder. Had he asked because he could also sense the deep loneliness from the skeleton?

Knot

“Why are there all these stairs leading down?” Robin asked, looking around the stairway with a raised eyebrow. Danni shrugged her shoulders, hopping down the steps, rather than walking. She was feeling jittery and there was a knot in her stomach that made her uncomfortable.  


“It said _entrance _, so it doesn’t matter thinking about it,” Luffy called back, already pretty far ahead of the group. The rubber teen blinked as he saw something moving in the shadows of the moat, and asked, “Geh! What’s that in the moat?”  
__

The rest of the group reached their captain in time to see a three headed wolf (wasn’t one of those a fox?) emerge from the shadows. Luffy panted, lips stretched in a wide grin as he held his net up at the ready and asked excitedly, “Ah, I wonder if it’s yummy?”  


Sanji looked at it and raised an impressed eyebrow, “Wow...a cerebros? We must be on the direct way to hell then.”  


Danni chuckled, eyeing the cerebros with a curious eye, “I think hell might be pretty fun, if it has this type of creature in it.”  


Robin let out her own chuckle as she said with a small smile, “It’s cute.”  


“He wanna brawl?” Franky muttered, holding his chin with one hand as he looked at the three headed wolf (seriously, was that fox head?) who was beginning to look rather confused.  


Zoro glowered and scoffed, “How brazen.” The cerebros looked utterly shocked, jerking back and staring at them with wide eyes. Then suddenly it growled, pawing at the ground and fur sticking up on end. Zoro raised an eyebrow, and muttered, “What did he get pumped about all of sudden?” The creature let loose a vicious growl, and the swordsman sighed moving to draw one of his swords, “Well, then I’ll—”  


Luffy interrupted him, holding his chin and grinning widely, “No wait! I wanna try and tame him!” Danni muffled her chuckle with her hand, but from the not so amused glance she got from Zoro it wasn’t muffled enough.  


“You think you could be his owner?” Zoro asked their captain incredulously.  


Luffy ignored him cheerfully as he held a hand out and said cheerfully, “Dog is dog! Oooh-kay! Give paw!” All three heads barked and lunged at Luffy, clamping their jaws around him. Franky sweat dropped and Danni let an amused smile curl her lips. With his head still in one of the head’s mouths, the teen patted the head and said, “Alright, alright...be a good boy... Now let go...good boy...” Then without any warning whatsoever, Luffy slammed his fist in the cerebros, slamming it into the wall as he shouted, “You asshole!”  


As the cerebros slumped to the floor, Luffy held his hand over it and said, “Down.”  


In unison Zoro, Sanji, and Danni said with sweat drops, “No, no...”  


Robin sighed and took a closer look at the down animal, “In any case, it has a bad wound. It’s strange that it’s alive.”  


Sanji sweat dropped as he held up the fox head by the ear and said, “Above that, how can it be a living thing anyway? What with a fox head mixed into it...”  


“We got attacked by an invisible thing, saw an actual ghost and have a living skeleton in our crew, not to mention our ship got caught in a huge ass spider web,” Danni started giving the two of them flat looks. “And you wondering how this is a living thing?” Sanji gave her a sheepish look, while Robin gave a look that was easily read as ‘it’s still odd.’ Danni simply shrugged her shoulders.

 

“He-hello!! P-please, wait a moment!” The group turned around, and Danni cocked her head to the side as she stared at the man who was practically skin and bones and had various heavy wounds and was currently holding a lantern and calling after them. “I’ve just watched you! (That didn’t sound creepy at all...) You’re terribly strong!! Would you please listen to me for a second?”  


There was a beat and then Luffy exclaimed in shock, “An old man with a big wound!?”  


“Again, it’s a zombie!” Sanji, Zoro, and Franky yelled in unison, eyes twitching.  


This was promptly shot down by the man with, “Actually, I’m an old man with a big wound.” Danni snickered as all three of the men’s eyes bulged and they shouted in shock. The old man then knelt on the ground in front of them and began to explain his story, “There is a man whom I wish to see defeated!! I think you guys could really do it! There are many victims... If he was beaten, they would all be rescued! If my _shadow _was returned, I would be very grateful!!”  
__

Luffy looked down and blinked, “Oh really! You don’t have a shadow, too! Just like Brook!” Danni cocked her head to the side. Shadows being stolen... She didn’t like the sound of that. She frowned, fingering the latch of her holster for the revolver attached to her leg. She was getting the uncomfortable feeling again.  


“Who the hell did that?” Zoro asked. “Is he on the island?”  


The old man nodded, “It’s a man called Moria. He is very terrible!” Danni flinched at the name, her stomach dropping. She _did not _like where this going. Not at all. She shifted closer to Zoro, who shot her a questioning look, but she only shook her head back at him. She couldn’t explain what exactly was wrong.  
__

“Could it be?” Robin muttered, and then louder she asked, “Gecko Moria, by any chance?” At the old man’s agreement, her face paled dramatically and she took a small step back. Danni shivered as she felt the shot of fear that crawled down her spine.  


Luffy blinked at Robin and asked, “You know him, Robin?”  


The dark haired woman shook her head, “Only by name. He’s a man whose former bounty even exceeds yours, Luffy!” Danni felt her own face pale. There was only one way someone had a former bounty if they weren’t dead. “Gecko Moria is one of the Shichibukai!!”

Hallucination

Danni frowned looking around the dining room in confusion. “Where’s Sanji?” she asked, sweeping her gaze around the room again with dangerous eyes. She could’ve sworn he’d just been here a moment ago.  


Luffy turned around, blinking and with one hand on his hat, “Eh? He was just here until now... Where’d he go?” A portrait snickered, and another one told it to shut up. Danni turned her head and glared at them sharply.  


Zoro noticed them as well, and side eyed them darkly as he said coldly, “They did something...at some point.” He then crossed his arms and nodded solemnly, “We’ve lost a pitiful man.” Danni closed her eyes, lips twitching, and Franky sweat dropped.  


Luffy nodded easily, “Welll. But that’s that, then. Sanji’s probably alright!” Danni felt like that was true, but at the same time _wasn’t _. It was a really odd feeling.  
__

“But in this zombie mansion...,” Robin hummed, then trailed off before she said instead, “Maybe we should rather worry about rescuing the other three.” The pig was yelling something at them, but Danni had long since tuned him out. “In any case, we should only proceed with caution. I don’t think he’s telling the truth. Nami and the others are in danger.”  


Zoro turned to the talking pig head, cocking his head to the side and said nonchalantly, “Okay then, let’s take this pig with us as a guide.” The various portraits began exclaiming about their master and how frightening and terrible he was, but Danni wasn’t really paying attention. She could feel Sanji in... _two _places?  
__

“It’s okay to feel guilt when you lose one or two of your friends...,” one of the portraits was saying, dragging Danni away from her confusing realization. “But before the Shichibukai Gecko...no, _Master’s _true power you should fear not being able to even yourselves...”  
__

Luffy cut him off with an eye roll, “Ramble, bramble. Shut _up _. Now, tell me where this idiot Moria is!” The teen gave a very convincing growl that matched is rather feral expression, and the portraits all let out shrill screams. Luffy glared down at them and snarled, “If _anything _happened to my friends, _I’ll pummel you from the surface of this island! _” The captain sniffed, turning away from the shocked and terrified portraits and heading towards the stairs. “First of all, we can leave Sanji alone. He won’t die.”  
______

Danni followed behind them, smiling in amusement, though she still couldn’t quite shake the worried feeling she was getting. The gunner had no time to react when something wrapped around her mouth and then her body, yanking her up and away from her crew, who continued walking, not noticing a thing. She struggled violently, trying to wriggle her way out of whatever was holding her, and then when she finally saw what had just kidnapped her, she wondered if she was hallucinating.  


Spiders stared back at her and she didn’t have any time to anything before she was taken somewhere. Soon she came face to face with Gecko Moria, who leered down at her and said, “What a nice catch. The daughter of that wretched _Beckman _.” Danni glared up at him, her curses muffled by the spider silk covering her mouth. He pulled out a pair of scissors and she stared with wide eyes as he pulled her shadow up and into the air, the struggling form stretching to its limit, before with a snip, it was cut from her body.  
__

She tried to stay awake, but her vision was slowly turning dark and the last thing she saw was her shadow struggling violently and Moria laughing in a deranged way. 

Bump

Danni frowned as her consciousness slowly returned. “A _beautiful lady swordsman _just arrived with a ton of _meat _!!” What the hell? She wondered blearily, trying to push past the heaviness of sleep. She felt weird. Like there was something wrong with her body.  
____

“Beauty?”  


“Swordsman?”  


“Meat?”  


“They’re hopeless!!”  


Danni struggled. What the hell was going on? She was startled when whatever she was sitting on was jolted and she fell off, bumping her head on the floor. “You bastard! My shadow!” Luffy screamed.  


“Calm down! Moria isn’t here!” Franky yelled right back, a smack echoing in the dining room. Danni sat up dazedly; she finally opened her eyes, but they felt extremely heavy. Her head felt like it was swimming and the dining room was threatening to tilt over completely. Her mind was a jumbled mess and she couldn’t remember what happened to her last.  


She could hear the others around her but she was distracted by the empty feeling inside her. Zoro’s exclamation of it feeling weird without his shadow had her scrambling to her feet and staring down at the floor where her own shadow was missing with wide eyes. “Danni?” Chopper questioned quietly, looking up at the shell shocked woman worriedly. She looked a lot paler than normal.  
“M-my shadow,” she stammered, pulling on her hair harshly as she bit her lip. “I can’t—it—I— _I don’t feel complete! _” She buried her fingers in her loose hair (when had that happened?), swallowing roughly as she tried to get rid of the itching feeling crawling all over her body.  
__

“This is seriously dishonorable...,” Zoro muttered, shaking his head with a hand on his forehead. “I let my guard down!!”  


Luffy was next to him, cradling a hunk of cheese and cheeks stuffed full of even more cheese, “We lost the pirate lunch boxes too... It’s not right... Just cheese...”  


Sanji looked around in confusion, teeth clenched around his cigarette, “By the way, Nami-san doesn’t seem to be around...?”  


Danni whimpered looking up suddenly, with a distressed face. “Lufffyyy—!!” she whined weakly, her lip quivering as all three of the equally discombobulated men turned to her. “I feel violated!” It was said in a truly distraught voice and it had Zoro’s expression darkening at the reminder, while Sanji looked ready to commit murder. Luffy looked at her seriously, swallowing the food in his mouth. He stepped up to her and grabbed her shoulders, looking her straight in the eye.  


“ _You will be fine _,” he told her firmly. She sniffed and then nodded, her captain’s touch and words grounding her and letting her gain her sense of equilibrium again. Franky looked at the two with a furrowed brow, wondering why he had the feeling there was more going on there then what he could just see. Robin noticed the cyborg’s expression, but kept her mouth shut. It wasn’t her place to tell.__

Grinning

“I’M ALREADY NEGATIVE!!” Usopp shouted. Danni couldn’t help it. Even though she was feeling like the scum of the earth and even lower than that, and it really wasn’t something she should laugh at, but just. She couldn’t help it. Danni fell flat on her back, clutching her stomach and laughing wildly. Usopp flushed bright red, “Damnit, Danni! Don’t laugh at me!”  


Taking a deep breath the gunner managed to stop her laughter, hiccupping slightly, and still grinning widely. “Sorry, Usopp. It’s just—” She couldn’t even finish her sentence, lest she start laughing again. She had put a hand over her mouth to muffle the snickers when their enemies cheered for Usopp (who took great offense to that).  


Usopp turned to the men, who hadn’t reacted because of being heavily hit by the negative ghosts, and yelled, “Now, snap out of it! Quickly go forward and rescue Nami and Brook! Your strength is no match for this woman!! I’ll take care of her!!”  


Danni stood pulling one of her revolvers from their holsters on her legs and twirled it around in her hand, lips still stretched in a wide grin. “You want us to take care of the surrounding zombies for you, Usopp?” she purred, practically oozing bloodlust. She didn’t appreciate being forced to feel negative. She could do that to herself well enough on her own. Usopp nodded, whimpering as he eyed said surrounding zombies. “Alright, then you guys go on ahead and I’ll catch up with you once I take out the trash, okay?”  


The three other men nodded and raced off, half the zombies starting off after them. Or they would have if a streak of electric blue didn’t stop them in their tracks. The streak hovered in mid air sparking and making a threatening hissing noise. There was the click of a gun being cocked and the group slowly turned their heads to look towards the source. Danni stood there with her revolver pointed at them and finger hovering over the trigger. Her grin widened. “I wonder what would happen if I set that off,” she mused cheerfully.  


Then, winking at Usopp she fired another bullet, this was a shining white, and then took off after her three other nakama. She danced away from the blue streak just as the white bullet hit and with an ominous cracking the streak exploded, sending electrical charges everywhere. She saluted the sniper with her gun, sticking her tongue out and winking, before continuing to run towards where Brook would be.

Revolt

Danni felt a shiver crawl down her spine and she panted heavily, clutching her side with one hand and gripping her rifle in the other. She had quite a few cracked ribs and she was fairly sure that her ankle was sprained. On top of the numerous bruises and gashes, she wasn’t in the best of shape, but then, no one really was.  


Even though Moria was defeated and their shadows returned (and wasn’t that an amazing feeling? Being complete...) she didn’t feel like it was finished. The battle with Oz and Moria had really taken its toll on her and she could already taste blood on the back of her throat. If those two were defeated, then why did she feel like the other shoe was about to drop?  


“Oh yeah! I—forgot something really important!” Nami cried out, hand covering her mouth and looking like she was going to be sick. Danni felt her stomach drop.  


Robin raised an eyebrow and asked the navigator, “What happened?” Nami was about to explain, face still deathly pale, but a voice from the rooftop pulled their attention in that direction. A large man was standing there, not paying them any attention and talking into a Den Den Mushi.  


“I see. My uneasy feeling seems to be dead on,” the voice said. It was coming from the Den Den Mushi, and the large man agreed solemnly, voice almost mechanical. “Just when we found a successor to Crocodile. It’s not good to have another _Shichibukai _defeated.”  
__

Danni felt like crying. “Calm down and listen!” Nami said, body trembling. “During the fight with Moria I forgot to tell you...but on this island there was another! A Shichibukai!” Danni wanted to revolt against the unfairness at life. She may have said at one time that their crew had amazing luck, but it could be said on the other side of luck as well. They had some pretty terrible luck too. It seemed that all of their good luck was about to be repaid in tenfold with _bad _luck.__

 

“I can let you live,” Kuma started, holding the bomb in his hands. “But surrender Straw Hat Luffy. If we have his head, the world government will not chase you anymore.” Danni easily let the ferocious rage of her nakama wash over and in her, blending with her own sparking fury.  


“You’re asking us to betray a comrade...,” Usopp growled expression uncharacteristically dark with anger.  


Kuma continued, “Come...Hand me Straw Hat.”  


There was no hesitation as everyone in the Straw Hat crew, and even Lola’s crew screamed, “NO WAY IN HELL!!”  


“What a pity,” Kuma sighed, expression never changing from its blank state. Danni gritted her teeth and crouched down to try and minimize damage, though she knew it probably wouldn’t help in the least bit. The bomb exploded and she flew through the air, smashing into the rubble as the force made her bones creak in protest. Her vision blacked for a moment, and when it returned it was fuzzy at best.  


Her breath hitched and blood slipped past her lips. She struggled to stand, blearily gazing around her surroundings to get her bearing. The gunner didn’t so much as _see _Zoro as she _felt _him. She finally managed to get her feet under her, holding onto her rifle like it was life line, and staggered over to where she could feel Zoro’s shock, confusion, and sheer violence.  
____

“Why must you take Luffy’s head?” Zoro asked, voice exhausted and slightly desperate and Danni didn’t like the way this going.  


Kuma answered, “This is already my best offer.” Danni’s eyes widened as she felt all confusion and desperation fade into a steel core of determination. She stumbled around a piece of rubble and came to the scene of Zoro kneeling on the ground in front of Kuma, who was staring down at the swordsman with a blank expression.  


“I see,” Zoro said quietly. “Go on and take the head... (No.) However, let mine substitute his!! ( _No. _) Let my life exchange for his!! I beg of you!! (NO.) I know my head isn’t worth much at the moment...but eventually I will become the world’s number one swordsman. I’d say exchanging my life for his is an equally good deal!! ( _NO. _)”  
____

“If you have such a great ambition then by dying for him...How will you ever be satisfied?” Kuma asked. Danni found she couldn’t move. This couldn’t be happening. Not this. Her chest constricted tightly, and it wasn’t just because of her illness. She had to get over there. Zoro couldn’t do this! Not this; _never this _.  
__

Zoro panted heavily, but still looked the Shichibukai in the eye as he answered, “Aside from that...there is already no other way to save the crew! If I can’t even protect my captain’s dream, then whatever ambition I have is nothing but just talk! _Luffy will be the man to become Pirate King _.” She tried to move, to do _anything _, but her body wasn’t listening. She bit her lip, tears building up in her eyes, even as she struggled to hold back her coughs.  
____

She was startled when Sanji appeared, “Hold on a minute, you jerk!” The chef was wobbly at best, but he still made his way forward so that he was next to Zoro. “What are you going to do if you die, huh? What happened to your dream, idiot!?” The blonde walked up to Kuma, pointing a rude finger at the bear of a man, “Oi...you big blob. Just ignore this idiot marimo swordsman...if you have to kill somebody then just take my life, instead! I know the marines don’t give a damn about me...but soon enough, the man who will be most feared by the marines will be me! Black Leg Sanji!”  


Danni shook her head. This couldn’t be happening. “Come at once! Kill me! I’ve already realized that this day would come. Let the _flower of death _bloom in me!” Sanji crossed his arms and firmed his stance in front of Zoro. Danni’s bottom lip trembled. “Oi...tell everyone to _take care _and…that you’ll have to find yourselves another chef!!” Sanji told the swordsman. Danni tried once again to move, but her body still refused to cooperate, stuck in place as if she’d been nailed down. She gritted her teeth, ignoring the tears spilling down her cheeks. _Why couldn’t she move!? _  
______

Zoro suddenly moved, slamming his sword under Sanji’s ribs, making the blonde collapse to the floor with a curse. Then as if his strings had been cut, the chef fell over, unconscious. Zoro threw his swords away from him, towards Kuma. “N-n—” Danni started, her foot moving forward slightly.  


“I hope you will keep your promise after I die,” Zoro said, standing straight and proud in the face of death.  


Kuma stared down at the swordsman, then at the fallen form of Sanji, and sighed, “In that case, if I still lay my hand on Straw Hat, my honor would be at stake.” Fear was clinging to her like a heavy cloak, but she managed to force her feet to move forward. She couldn’t let Zoro do this! He had an ambition! A goal to strive for! She _didn’t _. **She was already dying. **  
****__

“NO!” she shouted, lurching forward. “I won’t let you! Zoro!” The swordsman’s eyes widened when he saw her and he made an aborted move to say her name, but she cut him off, scrambling over to him, “No! You have something to look forward to, Zoro!” She fell to her knees next to him, and looked up at Kuma, “Take _my life instead _! I’m worth more than him, though my bounty’s smaller! Surely you know I’m an abomination that shouldn’t have been born? I’ve got bad blood!” She coughed harshly, blood splashing to the floor and her entire body was trembling from the intense strain she was putting on it. “Besides...,” she whispered, though it was heard by both men easily. “ _I’m already dying. _”  
____

Kuma stared down at her, expression never changing. Zoro clenched his fists tightly and before the gunner could react, he pulled her closer to him and hit the back of her neck. Her eyes widened as she fell forward in what felt like slow motion the edges of her vision going dark. “Zo...ro...?” managed to push its way past her bloody lips, and her head hit his shoulder with a soft thunk.  


She felt his hand pressed against the back of her head, and his lips brushing her ear as he whispered, “Sorry...but I can’t let you do this.” Then her vision faded, his apology ringing in her ears.

Evoke

_“Ne, ne, Danni-chan! Come sing with us!” Strong arms scooped her up by the waist and she was greeted by a wide smile from under a straw hat covered head.  
“Ehh? But I can’t sing! I don’t even know what you’re singing!” she exclaimed in shock, wiggling her way out of Shanks’ arms. The man laughed loudly, throwing an arm over the thirteen year old’s shoulders and easily leading her over to the group of pirates surrounding a bonfire. The crew were laughing and drinking, and some were pulling out instruments in preparation of singing.  
“It doesn’t matter if you can’t sing!” Shanks laughed. “And you’ll pick the words up in no time!” Before she could protest any further she was forced to sit down next her dad, who was smoking a cigarette and watching over the crew with amusement. A drink was placed in her hand, and she didn’t even bother checking what it was before she took a sip, listening to the words the pirates were starting to sing.  
“Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,  
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,  
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho,  
Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho  
Binkusu no sake o, todoke ni yuku yo  
Umikaze kimakase namimakase  
Shio no mu—” _  
__

“—kou de...,” Danni trailed off as she opened her eyes blearily. She was sitting on the floor next to a piano she had found in there earlier, and not on a beach surrounded by the rambunctious Red Hair Pirates.  


“Let’s be comrades! Alright?” Luffy exclaimed from his perch on top of the piano, that Danni realized was being played by Brook. The song was Bink’s Sake. A song she held very close to her heart as it held fond memories of her time with the Red Hair Pirates, and thus her dad. Brook didn’t answer immediately and Luffy continued cheerfully, “Now that you have your shadow back, you don’t have to worry about sailing in the sun, right?”  


Danni felt disoriented as she yawned and scanned the room out in front of her. The pirates were drinking and eating and just all around having a good time. Zoro was in the far back, still unconscious on the bed. She had been there originally, but Chopper had shooed her away when she started to hover. “...About that...,” Brook started, even as he continued to play. “There’s actually one thing that I haven’t told you about yet.”  


Luffy blinked in confusion, “What?”  


“I made a promise with a _comrade _. If I don’t realize it first, then I’m not fit to be a man,” Brook explained.  
__

Luffy laughed, a wide smile on his face, “You’re talking about Laboon, right? I know about it! Franky told me already!” Danni let a smile curl her lips at the reminder of the large whale. He had been a sweet thing, once he stopped moaning and ramming his head against the mountain.  


“Eh...Yohohoho. So _Laboon _is the name of the whale at the cape...,” Brook laughed. Danni gave the skeleton a confused look, before realizing that he hadn’t figured out just what Luffy was talking about.  
__

Luffy laughed again, “Like I said, Brook, we’ve met Laboon at the Reverse Mountain! Really!” Brook’s playing began to slow as what the young captain was saying began to sink in. “That’s why we were in awe too! When we heard the pirates that guy was waiting for is _you _. And you even remembered the promise!” Luffy’s grin was heading towards face splitting proportions as he continued, “If Laboon knows about it, then I’m sure he’ll be really happy!”  
__

Danni stood up, yawning again, and instead leaned against the wall so she wasn’t sitting on the floor anymore. Brook’s playing had slowed quite a bit and he seemed to be in shock as the information began to register in his mind. “Wait—wait a minute. This is really surprising! It’s all too sudden! Have you really...seen Laboon? (Luffy nodded happily.) It has already been 50 years since then...? He is still waiting over there for me?? Laboon!!” His tone was a bit desperate when he asked, “Are you really telling the truth!?”  


Luffy laughed bobbing his head up and down. Danni laughed as well, “We’re proof, Brook-san!”  


Sanji and Usopp arrived, nodded their heads in agreement, “We’ve really seen him!” Danni moved closer to Brook, sensing that the skeleton was about to reach a high emotional point.  


“Is he still doing fine?”  


“He’s doing great!”  


“Did he...grow big?”  


“As big as a mountain!”  


“Yohohoho...I really want to see him...because at the time we parted he was only the size of a small ship! He was so adorable!” Brook said, tone nostalgic and full of affection. “Although he isn’t well tamed...he really loves music! He is a good boy... Even now, as I close my eyes, his face would appear right before me. His look would appear and linger in my mind.”  


The skeleton’s fingers slammed into the piano keys and Danni placed a hand on the now sobbing skeleton’s shoulder, squeezing. Brook had his hands on his forehead as he cried, “This is really awesome! So he is actually living and well!!!” Brook was eventually pulled out of his memories by Franky’s shout asking why he’d stop playing. “Yohohoho. Just a moment!”  


The skeleton pulled out a tone dial and placed it on the piano, explaining, “This is called a _tone dial _. I bought it off a merchant ship once upon a time. It’s a very rare kind of shell that can record sound and play it back.”  
__

“Ahh, that’s from Sky Island!” Luffy cheered, kicking his feet in the air.  


Brook looked up at him, startled, “You are familiar with this...?” He then shook his head, pushing the question away for a later date. “I want to play this to Laboon when I meet him at last. I carry it with me at all times.”  


“So you’ve got something recorded in it?” Usopp asked curiously. Danni sat on the bench next to Brook, wondering what was recorded.  


Brook nodded his head and answered, “A _song _. It’s the voices of my crewmates singing back when they were still alive! It’s a message for Laboon; something to tell him that we were all happy and merry right to the end of our journey. Would you mind if I played it?”  
__

Luffy’s grin widened and Danni couldn’t help but the feel a bubble of excitement inside of herself. “Ooh! I wanna hear!! I’m sure it’ll make Laboon happy!” Danni scooted closer to the edge of the bench so she was out of the skeleton’s way, peering up at him with an excited smile of her own. She loved pirate music. It reminded her of nakama, adventure, and the sea!  


Danni stayed next to Brook as the song played, singing just as loudly and happily as the rest of the pirates, a wide smile on her face. There was no other song that could evoke her memories of her time spent with the Red Hair Pirates to run rampant in her mind and she couldn’t hold back raising her voice even louder, or smiling even wider. _This...This was what home was. ___


	6. Chapter 6

Tired

Danni yawned tiredly, rubbing her eyes as she plopped down roughly next to Usopp, silently accepting the cup of tea handed to her by the teen, who was looking at her worriedly. The woman seemed much paler and the bags are her eyes were much darker than usual, almost making her eyes look like they were bruised. “--heading for Saboady Archipelago!!” Camie announced cheerfully. Danni blinked blearily, blowing on her tea before taking a sip and wondering idly why that name sounded familiar.  


“Do we have to go there to get to Fishman Island, then?” Usopp asked, tearing his gaze away from his sickly looking crewmate.  


Hachi was the one who answered, “Well, us Fishman and Mermaids and the like can just dive straight down there, but you’re humans, so if you just dived down like that, you’d die from the pressure.” Danni hid another yawn behind her cup, her head lolling forward a bit, before she forced it up, taking another sip of her tea. Sanji was giving her a worried stare as well, and Usopp’s hands were slowing in their work on his newest invention.  


“Yeah, even the submarine couldn’t take it that far down,” Franky added, casting a glance over at the exhausted looking gunner. Said woman stared around, rolling her shoulders lazily, before she stood from her spot and wandered over to where Zoro had sat down against the wall, joining the swordsman. She listened with one ear as the starfish explained the ways to Fishman Island, resting her head against Zoro’s shoulder and blinking slowly.  


She didn’t know why she was feeling so exhausted, but she really didn’t feel like her usual self. She was feeling lethargic and heavy like she was carrying an invisible amount of weight, but she didn’t understand _why _. She was startled out of her thoughts by Zoro standing, an arm around her waist taking her with him. “It’s pretty much underneath Mariejois itself. You just head straight down about ten thousand meters to the ocean floor and its right there! It’s a great place!” Hachi was explaining.  
__

Zoro yawned and asked, “Wasn’t the Sky Islands about ten thousand meters straight up, too?” Danni didn’t answer that as she stared out in front of the ship, realizing why Saboady Archipelago sounded so familiar. Her stomach dropped and she felt like she was going to sick, and it wasn’t just because she was reminded about the slave trade or the discrimination against Fishmen and Mermaids.  


The gunner managed to slip to the back of the ship and lean over the side just in time for everything she’d eaten that day came up and out. She gagged, coughing harshly as she leaned against the railing panting. Her stomach rolled again, but settled down quickly enough, and she sighed wearily, closing her eyes and resting her forehead against the ship’s railing, letting the cool breeze soothe her.  


She felt marginally better, though still a bit heavy, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. Her crew’s excitement was helping in the matter, as well. Heaving another breath, she slipped down the stairs to go wash her mouth out, before she joined the group leaving the ship, ignoring the sharp look Zoro sent her way and the somewhat calculative gaze of her captain.

Disrupter

Danni took in the somewhat shabby looking building in front of them, nose twitching as she got a whiff of alcohol. The good kind too. She smirked. It may look like it was a rip off, but from the smell of good quality grog, it wasn’t what it appeared. She followed behind Luffy, fingers absently caressing the butt of her rifle as she noticed the scent of blood underneath wood and alcohol and cloves.  


“I wonder if Rayleigh and Shakky are here,” Hachi mused as he swung the door open. Danni’s brow furrowed. Rayleigh? Why did that name sound familiar?  


She was pulled out of her musing when a mature but husky from smoke voice said, “Welcome. What can I do for you?” Danni popped her head around Hachi, blinking at the smoking, short haired woman who was holding up a broken and bleeding man. The woman stared at Hachi, before a smile split her face and she swung the man around easily as she said, “My, my, Hacchin!?”  


Hachi blushed, rubbing the back of his neck as he entered the bar further, Danni and Luffy following behind easily. “Nyuu. Sorry it’s been so long, Shakky,” the fishman said in response. Danni tuned out the rest of the conversation, following behind her captain, and hiding a tired yawn behind her hand. She was beginning to feel exhausted again, and she didn’t like it.  


It wasn’t very long before Luffy found the fridge, and Danni peeked in behind him to see if there was anything she wanted. There wasn’t, so she headed for the rack of bottles on the other side. She hummed under her breath as she examined the bottles. They were good quality and expensive tastes, which was definitely up her alley. She hadn’t been able to get her hands on any really good grog lately, so to have some options available to her when she was feeling like crap was almost a godsend.  


Luffy had already begun to stuff his mouth full of food, and Brooke had managed to sneak a bowl of beans out from beneath the boy. Danni snorted and finally decided on a bottle of sake, plucking one of the saké cups from the neighboring cupboard before she hopped up and over the bar, just as Shakky turned and said, “Ah...Of course--would you like some drinks....?” She trailed off as she took in the sight of Luffy rifling through her fridge and Brook eating a bowl of beans, and then Danni, who had just opened the bottle and poured herself a cup.  


“Rifling through the fridge like this is your own home!?” Pappug screeched in shock, gaping at the three culprits. Danni quirked an eyebrow at the starfish and downed half of the cup. The alcohol burned down her throat and made her stomach get a warm, tingly feeling.  


Shakky chuckled, a smile on her face as she said calmly, “Go ahead. I don’t mind.”  


Chopper gaped, first at Shakky then at his crewmates and screeched in panic, “Luffy! Brook!! _Danni _!! She’s gonna rip you off!!” Danni snorted, wrinkling her nose before she downed the rest of the cup in her hand. Chopper looked at her worriedly, wanting desperately to give her a check up, but not willing to do it in front of some many unknowns.  
__

“Oh, I won’t be taking any payments from friends of Hacchin,” Shakky laughed again before she held out a stick of candy floss, saying, “Here, you can have this.” Chopper wasted no time in taking the candy floss from her with an excited shriek. Danni kept one eye on her crew as she poured herself another cup, fighting back a yawn.  


Luffy turned his face to look as Shakky, asking with his cheeks stuffed full, “Oba-chan, how do you know Chopper’s favorite food?”  


The woman smiled, standing and making her way over to the pirate captain, “Why, you’re the Monkey-chan crew, aren’t you?” Luffy looked at her with wide eyes and made a shocked exclamation about her knowing about him. Danni snorted in amusement, draining her cup in one go again. Luffy wouldn’t even know he was famous if it hadn’t been for Nami. “But of course, you’re a hot topic, and I’m a well informed sort of person.”  


Camie smiled and piped up cheerily, “So you’re famous, Luffy-chin!” Danni hummed, pouring herself another class and only taking a sip this time, placing her chin on her hand. The gunner didn’t even flinch when Luffy hopped over the bar and landed on the stool next to her with crossed legs.  


“Although I admit I hadn’t heard of a skeleton in your crew...or that skeletons could move about...,” Shakky mused with an interested look as she set about making tea, setting a cup down in front of Luffy as she continued, “But I’ve read the articles about the Enies Lobby incident. How much of it is true? I suppose the government did pick a fight with you?”  


She poured the tea into the cup and Luffy scowled half heartedly as he responded, “Aw, c’mon. It’d be boring to go over it all again.” Danni huffed under her breath, her hand reaching out and curling around the hem of Luffy’s vest subconsciously as she took another sip of her drink. Shakky’s eyes flickered over to the tired looking girl and frowned briefly.  


“Not the type to boast?” the bartender laughed, smothering her frown easily. “Impressive. Though you have the same name as Garp of the Marines...?” She trailed off letting Luffy fill in the blank, which he did with a pout as he took a sip of his hot tea, shifting slightly so that he was leaning ever so slightly towards Danni. The gunner was fighting to keep her eyes open and her body from trembling. Her bones were aching and she felt like she was carrying an exhaustingly heavy weight.  


“I thought as much. I was chased by Garp myself in the past, you know,” Shakky said with a smile as she leaned on the bar counter, chin on her hand and holding her cigarette with said hand. Danni blinked slowly, giving the bartender a strange look, though Luffy was the one that asked why.  


Hachi piped in helpfully here with, “Oh, Shakky used to be a pirate!”  


“Though I gave that all up about forty years ago now,” Shakky said cheerfully, making both Luffy and Danni sweat drop.  


Luffy looked at her with a weird look and asked, “Oba-chan...how old _are _you?”  
__

Shakky easily ignored the question and continued, still with a smile on her face, “These days, I just find my fun in supporting rookies like yourselves!” Danni chuckled into her cup, taking another sip and sighing in relief when the burn woke her up a bit. With the way she was feeling she just might have to ask if she can take the whole bottle with her.  


“By the way, Shakky--” Hachi started, but the bartender/former pirate interrupted him with a raised hand and smile.  


“Oh, don’t bother. I already know what you’re going to say,” she smiled. “I’m sure the reason you and Camie-chan went out of your way to go all this way across land was so you could guide Monkey-chan and his friends here to get their ship coated, right?” Luffy blew at his tea, watching the way the steam curled away from his cup before he took another gulp. Danni still had a grip on his vest, but he didn’t mind it. “Basically, you’re here with a job for Rayleigh, yes?”  


Hachi agreed, and Shakky sighed, “But he’s not here, you see?”  


Luffy gaped and if it had been seconds before he would have spat out his drink. “Huh!? The engineer’s not here!? But we wanna go to Fishman Island!”  


Shakky laughed raising up a placating hand. “Well, it isn’t as if he’s left the Archipelago altogether. Why don’t you go search the bars and gambling houses?” the former pirate soothed, and Danni had the feeling there was a bit more to it than just that. But seriously, where had she heard the name Rayleigh before?  


Luffy smiled easily holding his cup up and preparing to drink it as he asked, “We can just wait here for him to come back, right?”  


Shakky took a drag of her cigarette as she replied, “True. I’m sure he’ll be back one day ...though he hasn’t returned for half a year now.” Luffy and Chopper made an in synch exclamation of shock, and the woman continued, “I suppose he just hangs around; finding woman, borrowing beds here and there. It’s not that I’m worried about his health, but, well, when he goes off, he just doesn’t come back for a while. I guess that’s just how former pirates are.”  


“So the engineer-ossan was a pirate too!?” Luffy exclaimed, practically sparkling.  


It suddenly clicked with Danni why the name Rayleigh was so familiar. “Ah,” she said, blinking slowly as a smile started to spread across her face. “So that’s why.” Luffy blinked over at her, confusion evident, but she merely shook her head at him, lips still pulled in a smile. She’d let them find out on their own. It would be more fun that way.  


“Well, this is a bit of a fix. I suppose we’ll just have to search,” Brook mused. “Do you have any idea where we should start?”  


Shakky hummed thoughtfully, “Let’s see... He’s likely to be within Groves 1 to 29. After all he’s notorious himself (Danni snorted. That was an understatement.); he couldn’t let his guard down around marines. And if he’s not within there..., anywhere else....hmm, well, he does like the Saboady Park...”  


“Well, that’s that, then,” Danni muttered, releasing her grip on her captain’s vest as he cheered, him, Chopper, and Camie practically sparkling as they cheered.

Auction

Danni sat down next to Camie heavily, slouching over and holding a hand to her forehead and closing her eyes. Her stomach rolled uncomfortably and she groaned softly, unable to help it. “Damnit,” she hissed under her breath.  


“Danni-chan, are you okay?” Camie asked worriedly, twisting her hands in her lap and looking over at the older woman in worry. The others had all gone to go get ice cream, but Danni had said she’d stay with Camie, declining Luffy’s offer of bringing her back ice cream. Camie had noted that Luffy had look upset at that, but reluctantly agreed and had hopped away.  


The gunner looked up, her eyes blinking open slowly and she started to nod, but stopped midway as she tasted blood in the back of her throat. She hurriedly turned away from the mermaid, not wanting her to see, and coughed harshly, blood splashing against her hands and onto the bench. “Danni-chan!” The woman had no time to react before arms were around her in a tight hold, restricting her arms and a large hand was covering her mouth.  


Her eyes flickered around wildly, panic bubbling up inside of her as her body refused to cooperate and she was stuffed inside of a bag, the last thing she saw being Camie (wide eyed and terrified) being stuffed in another bag. The pirate struggled to breath, blood splashing past her lips and dribbling down her chin as she coughed weakly. Her hands had been tied behind her back and her rifle had been left behind on the bench.  


It wasn’t long before both she and Camie were taken from the bags and the mermaid was screaming at the kidnappers, struggling violently in their hold. Danni ripped herself from the arms holding her, rubbing her mouth against her shoulder, smearing blood all over her hoodie, and glared at the auctioneers. “I can walk by myself, thank you,” she said coldly, looking down her nose at them, even though they were taller _and _bigger than her.  
__

The auctioneers shuffled nervously under the pirate’s cold glare, wondering if it had really been a good idea on receiving the dark haired woman. Danni scoffed at them and stepped up so that she was standing next to Camie, who still had her arms being held back by a man dressed as a clown. A sleazy looking man was gripping the mermaid’s face, and laughing, “Hoh! Now this is quite the rarity! This will fetch a good price! A real feisty one, too! And in good shape!”  


Danni’s eyes flashed, and she bit her cheek to stop herself from saying something potentially stupid. Her crewmate’s emotions were a swirling maelstrom inside of her, but Luffy’s cold rage was nearly suffocating to her as it overrode everyone else’s frantic and roiling emotions. Her captain _was not happy. _“Who brought it in?” the man asked. One of his employees answered and he hummed, “Well, Peterman certainly has proved himself this time! And to think the Flying Fish Rider’s haven’t brought a single specimen...”  
__

Camie’s bottom lip trembled and she screwed her eyes shut as she stuck her tongue out at the man, ripping her face out of his grip in the process. Danni moved quickly, shouldering the mermaid out of the way and letting the hard slap hit her cheek instead. Her head snapped to the side and the area fell silent. Slowly, she turned her face back to the man, eyes dark and foreboding, leeching some of her captain’s rage and merging it with her own.  


Unbeknownst to the gunner, in doing so it made her expression much more feral and dangerous looking.  


“You shouldn’t hit the _merchandise _like that,” the words were hissed out in an obviously disgusted tone. “Especially when it’s worth so _much _.” The sleazy man wouldn’t admit to the shiver of fear that crawled down his back in the face of this woman, who stood with her back straight and expression fierce, especially with faint marks of blood around her mouth and neck and the stains on her hood.  
____

“And what are you?” the man sneered, not asking her, but his employees instead.  


Danni answered anyways, considering the employees actually had no idea _who _she was. “A pirate,” she said in an almost lazy drawl that reminded the man strongly of a hunting feline of the wild. He quickly hid the fear behind indignant rage and struck her again, this time on the other cheek. Before he could strike her again, a wave of power washed over the group and he crumpled to the ground, foaming at the mouth.  
__

Danni blinked, eyes searching for the source rapidly, but unable to find it. She recognized that power. She’d felt it a few times before. Once from Shanks, and a couple times from her _own _captain. She glanced down at the fallen man, narrowing her eyes in disgust, but didn’t resist when she was collared and led to her spot in the cage, placed away from Camie and instead on the other side of a giant, next to a silver haired man with an interesting beard.  
__

She had managed to catch Camie’s eyes and give her a reassuring smile before they were separated, and she hoped the mermaid took comfort in her smile. She wasn’t all that sure she looked the best, considering how pale she must be and the more than likely already forming bruises on both cheeks. She sighed tiredly and leant back against the wall, folding her legs under her on the crate, and closing her eyes. She could still feel her crew’s panic, anger, and determination swirling inside her and it brought her comfort. Her crew would save them.  


She kind of wished she would stop getting kidnapped like this, though.

Hype

Danni’s eyes snapped open when she heard a gunshot and a sudden wave of ferocious _fury _nearly made her choke. She hunched over, clutching her chest and gasping heavily, “Lu...ffy...” There was a deafening crash from outside of the room and she stumbled to her feet, nearly pitching over if it weren’t for weathered hands catching her.  
__

“Easy now,” a voice rumbled. Danni gasped, sweat dripping down her face as the rage simmered and boiled. Her body felt hot and heavy and not in a good way. She moaned weakly, body trembling faintly. “You need to breath, focus on me, not him,” the voice continued, and she struggled to do as asked, but the sheer anger, even though it was minimized, it stayed with her; sucked her in until it was close to suffocating her.  


“ _Focus on me _,” the voice commanded and with sudden sharp clarity she could breath. She hadn’t realized she’d stopped. The gunner coughed and blood dribbled from her mouth, but it wasn’t as bad as it had been before. Her lips trembled and she focused on breathing and not the tightly leashed rage she could still feel creeping at the edges, waiting for a moment to consume her once again. The shackles keeping her wrists behind her back suddenly clattered to the floor, and her hands instinctively latched onto the man holding her up.  
__

“That’s it,” the man continued soothingly. “Good girl. Better?” Danni swallowed heavily, grimacing at the all too familiar taste of blood, and looked up into dark eyes behind wire frames.  


She stared, her breath slowly evening out before she blurted out before her brain could properly process it, “Ray-jiji?”  


The silver haired man blinked down at her and then peered closer before huffing out a laugh, “You take after your dad!” Danni felt her cheeks flush and the grip she had on the man relaxed as she rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment. Rayleigh gave her an amused look before he stood, stretching easily. “Well, let’s get that collar off and find the money, yeah?” 

Drink

Danni startled awake as Luffy screamed Usopp’s name, wondering what the hell had happened when she was sleeping. She sat up, rubbing her eyes somewhat grumpily, and looking at her captain, who was standing on his stool with one foot on the bar and glaring at their sharpshooter angrily. “We are not asking him where the treasure is hidden!” Luffy said fiercely. Everyone’s eyes were glued to the straw hat wearing teen, some with wide eyes, while others with contemplative ones.  


“We’re not asking him whether there is treasure or not! I’m not sure, but everybody set out to sea, risking their lives to search for it!!” Luffy looked at his crew with serious eyes, no smile in sight whatsoever and completely genuine in his next words. “If you ask this old man anything about it here and now...then I’ll quit being a pirate! I don’t want to go on a boring adventure like that!”  


Usopp swallowed and shook his head rapidly, and Danni sighed, shaking her head and grabbing the bottle of sake that was next to her and pouring herself a drink. She ignored the sharpshooter’s apologies and such, downing the cup in one go and keeping one eye on her captain, who Rayleigh had turned to. “Can you really do this?” the former pirate asked. “The Grand Line is just going to keep on surpassing your wildest imaginations and the enemies will be strong. Can you really conquer this ultimate ocean?”  


Danni barely refrained from snorting in her drink. Luffy blinked at the old man before a wide grin stretched across his face and he laughed, “I don’t want to conquer anything. I just think the guy with the most freedom in this whole ocean is the Pirate King!”  


Rayleigh had a somewhat secretive smile as he murmured, standing from his stool, “Is that right...”  


Shakky chuckled, smile on her face as she said cheerfully, “I think I really am becoming a big fan of yours, Monkey-chan.” Danni hid a smile behind her cup. Yes, her captain had a knack for doing that. She was pretty sure most of their enemies ended up either becoming a friend or giving their grudging respect towards him.

Massacre

“ZORO!” Danni screamed, easily catching the other’s attention, but it was useless. Brooke’s sword went straight through Kizaru’s leg and Usopp’s weapons weren’t any better. She tried to move but her legs refused to cooperate, and she knew her guns wouldn’t be of any use. She swallowed and forced her legs to move, just as Robin’s hands began to move Zoro out of the way.  


The gunner bit through her lip to withhold the scream of pain as Kizaru’s foot slammed into her back, where’d she’d managed to block from hitting Zoro instead. “You’re not going anywhere, even with _her _shielding you,” Kizaru muttered, staring down his nose at the two. While Danni’s move had blocked Zoro from getting hit by it, it had the unfortunate consequence of _her _pinning Zoro in place, unable to be moved.  
____

The admiral raised his leg to slam it once more into the two pirates, but Rayleigh was suddenly there, blocking the kick with his own kick. Danni coughed, staring up with wide eyes, “Ray-jiji..?” Blood was smeared down her chin and there was some dripping from her nose. She was also covered in dirt, grime, and all sorts of other things from the earlier altercations. That wasn’t mentioning the other wounds she had and the hidden dried blood.  


“So it’s time for you to take the stage, _Dark King _Rayleigh...,” Kizaru sneered.  
__

Rayleigh grinned roguishly and replied back with a laugh, “Don’t go plucking fine sprouts...It’s only just the beginning of their era!!” Danni struggled into a somewhat upright position, looking up at the man that her father and Shanks had spoken of with great fondness and respect. She couldn’t believe it. He had saved them.  


“I’d admit I’d heard rumors that you were somewhere on this island...looks like they were actually true! Helping rookies like these...once a pirate, always a pirate, eh, Rayleigh-san?” Kizaru sneered, cocking his head to the side and scratching his chin.  


Rayleigh kept smiling, laughing easily, “To be fair, if you’d just tear up that wanted poster of mine, I could go into a nice, peaceful retirement.” Danni stifled a snicker, coughing up blood instead. She was feeling a little out of whack. Her body was still feeling heavy and lethargic, and add all of her new wounds and her sickness and all of the high emotions form her nakama, she really wasn’t feeling in synch with herself.  


“The sins of the pirate do not simply disappear,” Kizaru drawled, stuffing his hand back in his pocket. “Much less those of the Roger Pirates. Unfortunately, if I were to capture you here, you wouldn’t exactly be...the _easiest _of captives to deal with, to say the least.”  
__

The air around Rayleigh suddenly grew heavy, though he was still smiling with humor. “Now, I wonder if you would be willing to let these kids go for now...,” the former pirate said cheerfully, peering over the rim of his glasses. “...Eh, Kizaru-kun...?”  


The tall admiral stared down at the older man and replied with a scoff, “Please don’t be like that. You know I have to capture them right away. Otherwise we of Marine HQ will be unable to show our faces before the Tenryuubito of Mariejois...” The air around the marine got heavier as well as he added, “Could you please stop getting in my way!?”  


Danni wheezed, fingers trembling around her grip on her weapon when she heard her captain scream, “USOPP! BROOK! TAKE ZORO AND DANNI AND FLEE!!” She struggled to her feet, Brook only able to help her keep steady while holding Zoro’s swords, while Usopp hefted Zoro up on his shoulder and together they ran. “EVERYONE! DON’T THINK OF ANYTHING OTHER THAN ESCAPING!!” Danni had to refrain from curling into herself as she felt Luffy’s fear, determination, and reluctance as he continued desperately, “WE AT THIS TIME CANNOT DEFEAT THEM!!”  


Everything after that was blurry for Danni. She couldn’t help but curse her weakness as her nakama was hurt one right after the other. She tried to keep her tears at bay, but it wasn’t working very well. She screamed as she was hit with a blast from the Pacifista, crashing into the ground next to Zoro. She panted, holding back pained whimpers as she forced herself up onto her hands and knees. Her ears were ringing faintly, but she heard that voice that left chills crawling down her spine say, “Halt! Pacifista One!!”  


She stared up at the imposing figure, eyes wide with fear, Usopp’s cries going in one ear and out the other. Zoro struggled to his feet, panting heavily and wounds pouring blood. “So you actually lived,” Kuma said plainly with no inflection. “Roronoa.”  


“Thanks to...the mercy you showed me,” Zoro responded painfully, his breathing heavily labored. Danni stared at Kuma, noting with a distant sort of worry that the Shichibukai was taking off one of his gloves. She could hear Chopper in the distance, the gaping hole of _darkness _threatening to open up inside of her and swallow her whole, but she couldn’t let it.  
__

Kuma stared down at the swordsman, and his next words echoed in her mind, though they weren’t directed at her, “If you are going on a trip, where would you like to go?” Danni’s eyes widened and she stretched her hand out, reaching for Zoro, but her fingers only clenched around air. Kuma’s hand had hit the swordsman and he was gone with a pop.  


“Zo...ro...?” she croaked, staring at the spot he had just been with disbelieving eyes. She couldn’t hear anything going on around her as a sharp pain of loneliness and _failure _rushed over her like a tidal wave, drowning everything else out. Danni trembled, her arm falling to her side limply as she continued to stare at the spot. She was only vaguely aware of various shouts around her, and Sanji appearing next to the group with a snarl, and Usopp standing in front of her protectively, brandishing his slingshot in front of him, but none of it registered.  
__

“ALL FOUR OF YOU RUNN!!” Luffy’s scream pierced through the heavy veil over her and she jerked violently. Her captain’s emotions were a whirlwind and it only made her own a confused jumbled mess. “EVERYBODY GET OUT OF HERE, NOW! WE CAN THINK ABOUT WHAT TO DO AFTERWARDS!!”  


Danni grunted as Usopp helped her up, keeping one arm around her waist as he helped Sanji up as well, saying, “C’mon! I just got grazed by his beam, that’s all! Take my shoulder, quick!”  


Brook suddenly leaped from the ground with a shout, “Watch out!” Usopp turned with a cry of the skeleton’s name, but Brook spread his arms out, standing in front of them protectively as he cried, “I will protect you! Even if it costs me my life!” Kuma’s hand swung down and cut off the musician's next words, “Oh wait...I’m already—”  


Danni let out a sound similar to a wounded animal as Brook disappeared with a pop as well. Sanji wrenched himself out of Usopp’s arms, pulling at his hair as he growled furiously, “Shit! What the hell am I playing at!? Losing two friends right before my own eyes!” The blonde chef shoved the two of them behind him, shouting, “Usopp, Danni! Run!”  


Danni’s bottom lip trembled, a hole that had formed from the disappearance of Zoro suddenly gaping open wider. Usopp reached a hand out for the cook, saying desperately, “Don’t be stupid! We’re going together!!”  


“RUN, SANJI! YOU HAVE TO RUN!!” Luffy screamed desperately. Danni didn’t think, only leaped after Sanji, arms circling his waist just as Kuma blocked the blonde’s kick with his hand, sending them flying away. The force of the push had her letting go of the cook, and her flying in a different direction, crashing into a tree violently.  


Her back arched and she coughed, blood splashing out of her mouth as her eyes rolled back from the force. She heard Usopp screaming and explosions, and then it was cut off by a pop. She collapsed to the ground, tears blurring her vision as she saw Usopp no longer there, and Sanji charging Kuma, only to disappear with a pop as well. The hole inside of her gaped open even further.  


She struggled to stand, but her body refused to obey her and she could only watch as Kuma vanished, appearing next to Rayleigh, saying something and then Luffy was charging at the Shichibukai only for the bear of a man to vanish again. He reappeared in front of Franky and Nami. The cyborg roared and sent a punch at Kuma and Luffy screamed, “FRANKY!”  


The pirate captain charged with a roar, not listening to Robin as she reached out for him and called out desperately, “Wait, Luffy! You’re doing exactly what he wants you to do!” Kuma easily blocked Luffy’s attack, sending him flying with a crash, before reaching for Franky and making the cyborg disappear with a pop as well.  


Danni finally pushed herself to her feet, clutching her rifle and bag desperately as tears streamed down her face as another one of her nakama vanished. Luffy’s anguish was swirling and mixing with her own and her fear only built as she watched with wide eyes, unable to do anything as Nami turned to Luffy, tears in her fear filled eyes as she reached out to him. “Luffy! Help—”  


Her plea was cut off as she too disappeared with a pop. Luffy let loose a roar, his anguish and helplessness and anger and _fear _meshing and filling her own past its breaking point. She opened her mouth to yell, to scream, to _say something _but nothing came out. Luffy rushed at Kuma again, only to be flung away like a fly as the Shichibukai vanished and reappeared in front of Robin who looked up at him in fear. Chopper suddenly crashed into the scene with a loud, ferocious roar aiming for an attack at Kuma.  
____

“STOP THIS ALREADY!!” Luffy howled, rushing towards to where Chopper, Kuma and Robin were. “STOP IT! _PLEASE _!!” But he didn’t listen and Chopper vanished as well. Robin spun on her heel beginning to run away. “Robin! Run for it!!”  
__

The archaeologist glanced back at Luffy, fear on her face, as she called, “Luffy—” Whatever she was going to say was cut off as Kuma’s hand swung at her and she was gone too. Danni tried to make her way to Luffy, who was only feet away from her, forcing her tired and sluggish body to _move _.  
__

“Luffy—you—you have to listen to me!” she panted, aware already that she was going to be next, as Kuma was already making his way towards them. She tried to push herself closer to her captain who was looking at her with wide, fearful eyes and it broke her heart into pieces.  


“Danni!” he cried, reaching out for her.  


She stretched her own arm out towards him, and their fingers touched. “We’ll meet ag—” she was cut off as the hand swinging towards her hit her and all she knew was _anguish and pain painpainpainPAIN _.  
Then darkness.__

Heavyweight

Danni bit back a scream as she crashed into the ground, and she coughed roughly, blood splashing onto the ground as she rolled over onto her hands and knees. She just wanted to scream and cry, but she was already exhausted from doing it on that stupid three day long flight. She bit her lip to muffle a sob, and shakily got to her feet, beginning to take in her surroundings. She had to find out if she was close to a village (if there even _was _one) and get back to her nakama.  
__

She was surrounded by _humongous _trees and vegetation, some of the likes she had _never _seen before. The trees were so tall their canopies blocked out any light trying to break through. The trunks were extremely thick and she thought it might even take Luffy some effort to wrap all the way around. The plants were just as huge, towering over her like normal trees, and the only light available were from strange flower like plants that glowed a pale, almost eerie blue.  
____

She withheld a shiver and shifted her bag across her back so it wouldn’t be smacking against her hip as she moved and pulled her rifle off her bag so that she could fight whatever came at her. She had the distinct feeling of being watched, and she knew it was a predator hunting her. She had no doubt that any creatures that lived here, especially predators, would be able to smell her sickness and deem her weak and thus easy prey.  


The gunner realized pretty quickly that she no longer felt heavy or lethargic, like she had back at Saboady, but she could still taste blood on the back of her throat and knew she was going to be getting frequent attacks all day. She grimaced in distaste, spitting out a glob of blood and decided she needed to move. It wasn’t a good idea to keep still. She had to find out if this island had a town or something.  


Somehow she didn’t think she was going to find one.

Fluctuation

In the back of her mind, Danni could feel Luffy’s emotions (which were fluctuating almost dangerously), but she didn’t allow them to distract her. Couldn’t allow them too. The vegetation wasn’t the only abnormally large thing on the island she’d landed in. The animals were just as large and all of them were predators. Even the insects. She was just glad the plants weren’t attacking her as well.  


She cursed violently when she was blindsided by a huge paw and sent flying through a bushel of thorny plants, crashing into the trunk of a tree. She slid to the floor, coughing violently and trying to get air into her lungs. She tried to scramble to her feet, but her right leg nearly gave out on her and she hissed, gritting her teeth. She couldn’t hear the beast coming after her just yet and she glared down at her leg.  


A large gash was bleeding heavily on her thigh, and she bit her lip. One of the claws from the bear (ridiculously large, but a bear nonetheless) had managed to glide across her thigh, slicing it open like it was butter. A large gash was bleeding heavily on her thigh, and she bit her lip. One of the claws from the bear (ridiculously large, but a bear nonetheless) had managed to glide across her thigh, slicing it open like it was butter. Thankfully, it hadn’t managed to go deep enough to hit muscle or bone, but it was still pretty bad. Moving quickly, she untied the sash at her hips and tore a strip off before tying it around her thigh, covering the wound and stemming the bleeding. It wasn’t the best, but there wasn’t anything she could do.  


The island didn’t have any type of human living on it. Anything she had found that even hinted at human was the remains of one. There weren’t any ruins or traps or anything. The island was ruled entirely by the animals. And she had no idea how to build a raft let alone a _boat _. She also wasn’t about to risk just getting a piece of wood big enough for her to use, to try and _swim _to another island, like Zoro might have chosen to do.  
____

The rustling of leaves alerted her to the bear (or some other creature) heading her directions, and she cursed silently, forcing herself to move, despite the burning pain of her thigh. She was lucky the claw had only hit her leg and not the rest of her body considering it was large enough to have cut her in pieces. She wished there was some way to find out what was going on in the world outside of the island though.  


Luffy’s emotions were beginning to worry her.

Forearm

Danni glared down at her forearm, which was bleeding sluggishly from two puncture wounds and she had never wished to be with Chopper more than ever before. Sighing, she tore another strip off her sash and wrapped it tightly around the wound, rubbing her forehead tiredly when she was done. She hadn’t been able to get much sleep when she was pretty much the leading piece of prey on the whole island. Every animal in the place was after her. They could all smell her illness and blood, and thought her to be an easy prey.  


The ever growing pile of bodies she was leaving behind didn’t seem to deter them in the least. The creatures after her were getting bigger and stronger after each kill she made. She was getting more and more worried about Luffy as well. Night was falling on the fifth day since she’d landed on the island, and she could feel nothing from her captain but blood curdling _pain _.  
__

She shivered as the pain shoved its way to the front before she managed to shove it back and squish it down before it overwhelmed her. Luffy had been a myriad of emotions the whole day, ranging from determination, to fear, to joy, to distrust, and pain had become a recent highlight, and it wasn’t stopping.  


Danni coughed into her shoulder, and blood stained her hoodie once again. She cleared her throat roughly, spitting out a glob of blood and grimaced. While her coughing hadn’t gotten any worse after the first day of nonstop hacking up blood, it hadn’t stopped either. She wasn’t coughing all times of the day anymore, but it was still frequent enough to where she could practically _feel _her life clock ticking away.  
__

Checking her surroundings again and finding it clear (for now), she opened her bag and pulled out a vial of bright red liquid. She uncorked it and knocked it back grimacing at the vile taste, before putting the cork back in it and sticking it back in her bag. She only had about four vials left and she was worried about it lasting. She didn’t have any idea when she’d be able to make it back to her crew, and she had no way of contacting them either.  


It was bad enough she had to take Chopper’s medicine every two months now, instead of the original six.

Void

Through her decimation of the creatures attacking her, she’d discovered what the leading predator was on the island. It was an immense tiger with a coat of black fur and even darker stripes. Its eyes were a piercing golden coloring that practically glowed in the darkness of the forest, often illuminated by the glowing flowers. It hadn’t taken her long to realize that the tiger had been hunting her since she’d arrived.  


The beast had been watching her kill through the ranks of the predators, lying in wait to see if she’d been worthy prey. It was a mildly terrifying thought. She’d always been aware of where it was; always on the edge of her senses.  


It didn’t attack until noon.  


Danni was jolted awake by the soft rustling of the leaves, and she’d barely managed to roll off the branch she’d been sleeping on to avoid the heavy paw that smashed in the place where she’d just been. She hit the ground with a grunt, and the branch shattered, chunks of wood and splinters raining down on top of her.  


She dove into the foliage under the tree, grasping the makeshift spear she’d made one day and had hidden there before she’d gone to sleep, and shifting back into the scraggly roots, blending into the shadows. She watched the surrounding area warily, pulling a knife out of her bag as she did, keeping both hands armed. She wouldn’t use her gun until she _knew _the shot would kill.  
__

Her thigh was throbbing in pain, and her blood was rushing through her veins, making her heartbeat echo in her ears. She fought to keep still and her breathing low, but she hated the feeling of being hunted. It made her skin crawl. There was a crunch and it was the only warning she got before the tiger pounced, tearing through the roots easily.  


She ducked under the beast cringing at the sound of it crashing into the tree, which groaned under the weight before with a tremendous and ominous creak its roots tore out of the ground as it was uprooted from the force. She was already racing through the forest, leaving the tiger behind when with a great crash the tree slammed into the ground, causing the ground under her to roll and shake. She stumbled, barely managing to catch herself, and grasped a trailing vine from above, giving a running leap forward.  


She swung high, barely avoiding a huge paw with claws extended, and her eyes widened. She hadn’t even heard the creature coming! Danni let go of the vine and flew through the air, grabbing another one and using her momentum, swung _around _an upcoming tree. She didn’t turn around to see if the tiger was following her, letting go of the vine and landing on a large, wide leaf. She bounced on the leaf, but it held under her weight and she slid down it, bending the leaf down to the ground, where she took off in a run.  
__

Danni didn’t have to look behind her to know the predator was following her, but that was okay. She was leading it somewhere. She’d found the place in one of her many explorations in search of a village. If it weren’t for the animals, the spot would’ve been a great place for one. It was a small clearing of about fifteen feet around, half of which was covered by a deep pond full of large, colorful fish, and crystal clear water. The surrounding trees had strong, flat mushrooms growing all around on the trunks that could be used as stairs to get to the branches that were up much higher than some of the other trees in the forest.  


The flowers that glowed dotted the maze of roots that made up a lot of the floor ground, and up in the canopies were a variety of vines that could be used to swing from one to tree to the next, or tied together to form a makeshift bridge. Some of the vines had large flowers on them that had a golden orb in the middle that secreted a shimmering, gold liquid that overflowed the flowers and dripped down into the clearing.  


It was a beautiful place, and it suited her needs greatly. She knew all of the hiding spots, and the best places that had a view of the entire area where she could shoot from, and all sorts of other things. The best way to put it was this being her home ground. 

 

Danni panted heavily, ducking out of the way of a swing of one of the tiger’s claws, and stabbing her spear in said paw. The tiger let out a thundering roar and with a loud crack the shaft of her spear snapped, and she had to dive out of the way of the other paw coming at her. She winced as her thigh screamed at her, and she didn’t have to look to know her leg was covered in blood. She switched her knife to her other hand and rummaged around her bag for a paper cartridge with her now free hand, ducking behind a root of one of the trees.  


Her fingers grasped one of her cartridges and she yanked it out of her bag, before starting to run again, just in time as the tiger pounced on the spot she’d just been, destroying the root and surrounding roots and flowers. She raced back into the clearing, knowing it was probably a bad idea because of the open space, but it was the only way to reach one of her spots.  


She tossed her knife backwards, not even bothering to aim as she tugged her rifle off her back and hurriedly opened the cartridge with her teeth. She loaded the red and black powder into the flash pan and then down the muzzle, before dropping a bullet into the muzzle as well. She had no time to load it all correctly, and she only hoped this didn’t backfire on her and completely destroy her rifle.  


The tiger’s paws hitting the ground behind her sent tremors through the earth and she looked behind her to see how close it was to her when Luffy’s emotions suddenly slammed into her. She stumbled, letting out a horrid scream as pure _anguish _rushed through her like a tidal wave. It swallowed everything in its wake, consuming _everything _. Agony threatened to make her heart burst, and the sheer amount of _suffering _she was feeling made her fall to the earth.  
______

Tears poured from her eyes and she gasped wildly, trying to get air into her lungs, but she wasn’t given any time to breath when claws nicked her head. The needle sharp claws ripped through skin and she let out another scream as physical pain registered and blood sprayed through the air. The blood clouded her vision and her stomach rolled violently. Then before she could even so much as blink the roiling maelstrom of emotions ceased, leaving nothing behind but an empty void.  


Her bottom lip quivered and through the sudden ragged emptiness she weakly lifted her arms up, aiming her rifle and fired the bullet. There was a harsh screech and a deadly red glow from the bullet, before it ripped through the tiger’s neck, blood arching through the air and drenching her form. Her arms shook as she lowered her gun, staring at the tiger blankly as it swayed, before falling to the ground with a great crash.  


The forest was quiet.

Adornment

Danni wore the upper half of the tiger’s head as an adornment on her own head, letting all the animals of the island know she wouldn’t put up with any more hunts. It had been close to a week since her battle with the beast, and she was relieved when only after two days the emptiness and later anguish from Luffy had cleared away to a controlled grief. She wasn’t happy though, because she wanted to know _just why Luffy had felt such pain _. She wanted to be there with him. She wanted to be able to help soothe the pain away. To let him know he _wasn’t alone _.  
____

But she couldn’t leave the damn island.  


The wound on her thigh had finally begun to close, but it was slow going and she feared it becoming infected. The wounds she’d gotten from the tiger on her left temple were still open and raw, but she had no way of protecting it fully, so she took to washing the wounds out daily and thanking everything there was that the claws had missed her eye.  


She wasn’t bothered by the animals of island anymore, and they actually avoided her if they saw her. She’d become the top predator of the island, and none of them wanted to challenge that even if they could still smell her illness. The fact that’d she’d killed the tiger despite that, terrified them all beyond belief. But she didn’t care about any of that. She wanted her crew.  


Danni scowled at the thought, her chest giving a sharp twinge of pain. She ignored it for the most part and continued her way to one of the beaches she’d found, slinking through the shadows of the heavy vegetation. Her ears perked when she began to hear voices, some barking orders, and others goofing off, or replying to orders. She narrowed her eyes and scrambled up the closest tree, which also happened to be the one that reached the beach. She used the various vines and mushroom stairs on and around the tree to get closer to the beach, hiding in the shadows of the canopy as she peered down.  


Groups of men were pulling in dinghies, while more were beginning to troop into the forest, no doubt to get provisions. She scanned them all briefly, before looking out to the ocean to see what ship they’d all gotten off of. They weren’t marines, and merchants would have had to have a death wish to shore in on _this _island, so that left pirates. Her eyes zeroed in on the large ship swaying on the waves, and she nearly fell off her perch when she realized just _who’s _ship it was.  
____

“Dad,” she breathed, her body relaxing for the first time since she’d arrived on this wretched island. She quickly scanned the pirates on the shore again, this time searching for a familiar face instead. Her eyes darted swiftly from one face to the next, before they finally landed on the recognizable form of her father.  


She wasted no time in leaping from her perch, using a vine to swing down closer to the ground. She landed on the sand in a crouch, right next to a group about to head into the forest. The pirates immediately had their weapons out and pointed at the strange figure, wary of the strong stench of blood wafting off of her and the large tiger head covering her own and shadowing her eyes. She didn’t pay them any heed, instead standing fluidly and making her way towards her dad, who was barking out orders to the crew and smoking a cigarette.  


His hair was silver and shorter than when she’d last seen him, and his face had gained some new scars, but he was still the same strong, broad shouldered figure of her childhood. She felt tears prick her eyes and her body began to tremble faintly the closer she got to him. “Daddy,” she croaked, her voice hoarse and a bit weak from its lack of use. The pirates fell silent at hearing her declaration, and Benn stared at his daughter in shock.  


“Danni?” he asked, closing the remaining distance between them almost instantly, gripping her trembling shoulders with large hands.  


She stared up at him with wide, teary eyes and demanded, “What happened to my captain? What happened to Luffy!?”

Possess

Danni read the newspaper articles furiously, her fingers trembling and the paper crinkling under her tight grip. Benn watched her silently from across the table, smoke curling above his head. The scent of cloves, for once offered no sense of comfort to her. She let out a snarl of frustration and crumpled the newspaper up before tossing it across the room. She should’ve _been there, damn it _! They all should have been there!  
__

Tears built up in her eyes once again, but this time she let them fall as she gripped her hair in frustration. Her father stayed silent and pushed another newspaper across the table to her. This one was dated two days ago. She stared at it blankly for a second before the picture began to register and she was picking it up and nearly smashing her face against it to get a closer look.  


It was a picture of Luffy, his head bowed and holding his straw hat to his chest in respect. But she didn’t care about that. What had her attention was the 3D2Y tattooed to his arm with the 3D crossed out. “Three days,” she muttered. “Crossed out. Two...years?” She fell silent and Benn had his eyebrow raised at her in question, wondering what on earth she was muttering about. She ignored him completely trying to puzzle out what her captain was trying to tell all of them. And it was a message to all of them. No doubt about that.  


“Oh,” she blinked. “Two years. We’ll all meet again in two years instead of three days! Dad!” She looked over at him, and he stared back with an inquisitive look. “Do you know where Luffy ended up?” Benn shook his head, and she huffed, but shrugged it off. It wasn’t that important. “Then, do you know anyone who can train me for two years?”  


Benn looked at her and she stared back determinedly. A slow smile spread across his face and he leaned back in his chair, taking his cigarette out and breathing out a lungful of smoke. “I think I know someone who might be willing to,” he answered slowly. “Though it’s up to you to get him to train you.”  


“Fine by me,” she said back, jaw set and fire burning in her eyes. She’d never thought she would ever be able to possess such a strong feeling of determination, but then she’d never had anyone she’d be willing to give her entire life to before. And she would give her life to Luffy. She didn’t have any goals in life. She didn’t have any great ambition to live for like the rest of her crew.  


But for Luffy...for Luffy she would make his goal, _her _goal. She would make sure he’d become the Pirate King and gain all the freedom of the sea.__

Small

The Akagami Pirates brought Danni to a relatively small island, on the south shore. The island was white sand and swaying trees, and looked fairly normal. If it weren’t for the fact that not even two feet on the island Danni had come across a turtle with butterfly wings, she would’ve believed it to be normal.  


She wasn’t sure what to say to that, so instead she turned to her father, who was waiting by the dinghy, about to head back for the ship. She never knew when she would get the chance again so swallowing roughly she walked back over to her dad, digging around her bag as she did so. When she was in front of the man, she didn’t look at him as she shoved a pile of papers at him. “Here,” she muttered.  


Benn took the papers, looking down at the first one curiously. _Dear Dad, I’ve finally made it out to sea... _He paused, brow furrowed and looked up from the apparent letter, question on his lips, but Danni was already feet away and heading for the trees, ears bright red, even from where he was standing. An amused grin wormed its way onto his face and he chuckled, shaking his head. “She’s still as cute as ever,” he muttered, tucking the stack of letters away and beginning to push the dinghy back into the ocean and back to his ship.  
__

Meanwhile, Danni was fighting back mortified embarrassment as she entered the forest, heading for the East shore, where her dad had said was a town and the man she would have to try and get to teach her. At the reminder, her embarrassment faded away and she frowned. How the hell was she going to get the man to teach her?  


Benn hadn’t said much about the man, other than he was a gun master who had learned from the man before him, tracing back the teaching since before the Tenryuubito had even come to power. She wasn’t sure just how that worked, since she was fairly positive there _hadn’t _been guns back then, but what would she know? He had also mentioned the man was extremely picky on who he taught, known for turning potential students away almost viciously.  
__

She shrugged and figured she’d take after her captain and just see what happened. If it didn’t work out, she could probably get a boat from the town and head back to the previous island. She knew there were parts of the island she hadn’t discovered in her short time there, and she had the gut feeling those parts would be helpful.  


Shaking her head, the gunner shouldered her rifle and began exploring the forest she was currently in, which was also much, _much _tamer than the previous forest she’d been in. She’d just have to look down at her hip for a reminder of _that _forest. She’d decided to keep the tiger head, but instead of keeping it on her own head, she’d hung it off her right hip, partially hiding the nasty scar that now resided there, and working as a makeshift sash. She kept her dagger and certain paper cartridges in the folds of the skin wrapped around her hips, along with a few bullets.  
____

Despite the terrifying experience of actually getting the head, it had a certain calming effect on her now. It made her feel more powerful. Almost predatory like. Without her realizing it, her gait had taken on a more cat like prowl since she’d left the island, and it had only been honed by her dad’s teachings in her Kenbunshoku Haki.  


The forest was filled with the chatterings of many animals, though strange ones. There were small monkeys with more paw like hands, than human like hands, swinging in the canopies above her head, and they were all heading in one direction. Danni sniffed the air, and realized the air was getting rather moist and she was fairly sure she could see steam curling up in the air up ahead. Curiosity piqued, she followed the small monkeys, the air growing damper the closer she got to the steam.  


Breaking the tree line, the explanation for the steam and dampness was the series of rocky hot springs. The pools varied in size and were naturally encircled by smooth rocks that many of the monkeys were using to clean each other’s furs before going into the springs and leaning against. The springs were in an outcrop like area, and stacked on different levels. The monkeys danced around her feet, chittering at her and each other, some of them even tugging at her clothes with interest, and none shying away from the tiger head on her hip. Danni smiled, before she continued East, promising to herself that she’d have to visit the springs later.  


On her way, she also discovered an underground cave system, this time because of a raccoon like creature. The small thing had brushed against her legs and would walk in front of her, before stopping and looking over its shoulder as if to check she was following. She’d made a note of the area to come back and explore more thoroughly, before continuing on her way. The closer she got to the East Shore the more she could hear actual people, rather than just the creatures of the forest.  


The sound of people actually made her feel a bit nervous, and she found herself scrambling up a tree near the edge of town and observing it from the higher point of view. The thought of crowds of people made her stomach roll and she grimaced uncomfortably. While she’d been on the Akagami Ship, she’d spent most of her time with her dad or Shanks, away from the rest of the crew. She hadn’t realized that while she’d spent that time in the predator forest, she’d begun to become more animal like. Most likely due to the fact that she’d had _no _human interaction on that island and she’d been treated at first as prey, and then as she survived, a predator.  
__

She shifted and the leaves around her moved and her ears picked up a child’s voice saying, “I’m telling you, I _saw _her!” Danni’s brow furrowed in confusion, before it cleared. Ah. She’d thought she had felt someone earlier on her trek.  
__

“You seriously want me to believe you saw a woman with a _black tiger’s head _on her _hip _and a rifle on her back?” another child’s voice shot back sarcastically. “As _if _.” Danni stifled a snort, beginning to relax a bit as the childish innocence and disbelief below her washed over her. She peered down through the leaves, taking in the three kids standing under the tree she was currently hiding in.  
______

One was a dark haired kid about eight with freckles dotting his cheeks and pouting at the two other boys with him. The second one was also dark haired, but instead of the spiked mess the other’s was, his was pulled back sloppily in a short ponytail, and he was dark skinned. The third boy had her pausing and briefly wondering when Zoro had had a kid. And he did look like he could be Zoro’s kid. The boy had the same moss green hair and tan skin tone, but his hair was a floppy mess and covered his eyes, despite the bandana he wore.  


It was a bit startling.  


“Jay’s gotta point, Kai,” the Zoro-look alike said. “Kupa don’t _get _strangers, even if we _are _in the Grand Line.”  
____

Kai, the spiky haired boy, stomped his foot and retorted, “I ain’t _lying _, Momo!” Danni decided she might as well have a bit of fun. With that in mind, she swung down off the tree, landing behind Kai in a crouch, much to the shock of the other two boys, Momo and Jay. Poor Kai was utterly confused when his two friends let out startled shrieks, and leaped away from him.__

Guest

“You’re looking for someone?” Jojo, Tai’s mother and the town’s bar owner, asked curiously, setting down a bottle of sake and a cup in front of the strange woman her boy and his friend’s had brought in. She wasn’t worried about the woman being an unsavory character, because while Tai could be a bit naive and oblivious at times, he _was _an excellent judge of character.  
__

Danni gratefully poured herself a cup and nodded, “Yeah. My dad said I would find him here in town.” Her eyes wandered around the bar, taking in the homey atmosphere and the quiet chatter of the rest of the bar patrons. She hadn’t garnered many strange looks, amazingly enough, and Jojo had been more than welcoming to her. The boys were sitting a little further down the bar, plates of food in front of them as they talked and laughed.  


“Yah know his name?” Jojo asked, leaning against the bar and resting her chin on the palm of her hand. “If yah do, chances are I’ll know who it is.” She smiled; making her freckled cheeks dimple and Danni found herself smiling back. The pirate opened her mouth to respond, but she cut herself off before she could when she felt a person with less than savory intentions closing in on the bar.  


Her smile vanished and she narrowed her eyes, twisting slightly in her seat just as the door to the bar opened. A tall, thin man walked in, dressed in a clean pressed suit and flanked by two, much larger men that were obviously just the muscle. Danni wasn’t impressed in the slightest. The thin man spread his arms out, a somewhat sleazy smile on his face as he greeted, “Jojo, just the girl I wanted to see!” Danni noticed that the patrons of the bar had fallen silent, and were watching the man warily, and the kids had also gone quiet.  


“Hedobi,” Jojo greeted back, voice tight and warm smile gone completely. Danni stayed silent and the man didn’t even acknowledge she was there as he leaned on the bar counter, sleazy smile still in place. “I wish I could say it’s a pleasure to see you,” Jojo continued, grimacing slightly when Hedobi leaned in closer to her.  


He looked down at his nails, ignoring the jab and said genially, “I do believe you know why I am here?” Danni wrinkled her nose as the man’s scent threatened to clog up her nose in a rather uncomfortable way. She picked her cup up and took a sip, trying to ignore the man and hoping he would leave soon.  


Jojo straightened, looking down her nose at the man and answered coldly, “I will not tell you again, Hedobi. I am _not _selling the bar.” She curled her lip at him and added, “And even if I _were _, I wouldn’t sell it to the likes of _you _.”  
______

Hedobi tensed in anger and raised his hand to no doubt strike her, but he didn’t get the chance to when a slim hand grasped his wrist tightly, threatening to break it with the pressure. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Danni said flatly, not even looking at the man as she took another sip of her alcohol.  


The thin man sputtered, futilely trying to wrench his wrist from the tight grip the woman had on it, “You dare to--I demand for you to unhand me at once!” Danni slowly turned her head to look at him, one eyebrow raised incredulously. He sputtered again before screeching, “Men! Get her!”  


Danni rolled her eyes heavenward and downed the rest of her sake before she twisted the man’s arm behind his back, sliding her dagger out and placing it at his throat in one smooth motion. She moved so that he was between her and the two oncoming men, the lighting of the bar glinting off the sharp blade. “I wouldn’t get any closer unless you want his throat slit,” the pirate said blandly, making the two burly men stop in their tracks. She pressed the dagger against his throat slightly, bending the skin but not breaking it and continued quietly, “Now, when a lady says _no _she means _no _. Jojo ain’t selling her bar so it’d be best to _stop asking _. Got it?”  
______

Hedobi whimpered and Danni scoffed, removing her blade and shoving him at his two guards. She glared at the three men and barked, “Scram!” The group left, Hedobi tripping over himself to get away from her. She wrinkled her nose at them before tucking her blade away once more and taking her seat again, pouring herself another cup. “I hate idiots,” she muttered.  


Jojo stared at her silently for a moment, before smiling and asking, “Are yah a pirate, Miss Danni?” Her words quickly gained the attention of the three boys and Danni could just see their ears growing in size in order to listen better.  


She snorted and asked in return, “Would it be a problem if I was?”  


“Nope,” Jojo answered cheerily. “If yah need a place to stay, my home is open to yah!” Danni looked at the older woman over the rim of her cup silently for a moment before smiling and inclining her head in thanks for the offer. “Now, what’s the name of this fellow you’re looking for?” the bar owner asked before the boys could get their wits together to realize that the woman they’d brought to her was indeed a pirate.  


“His name’s Gen,” Danni answered, noting that the dark haired woman’s eyes widened at the name and the boys had all started whispering furiously. “I take it you know him?”  


Jojo nodded, “Yeah, everyone knows old man Gen. He lives on the edge of town near the forests. He keeps to himself mostly now since his wife’s death a couple years ago. His sons left the nest years ago, and I think one of them has died recently. His youngest hasn’t visited in years, and the oldest just visited us a couple weeks ago.”  


Danni blinked at the load of information and wondered again just what type of person had her dad sent her too. “Can you show me where he lives exactly?” she asked, finishing the last of her sake and placing a couple belli on the counter.  


“Hmm, the boys can show you,” Jojo answered, smiling easily.

Feast

Gen’s home was nestled behind a small grove of trees and was a homey cottage like house. There was a garden in the front yard, but it looked like it hadn’t been taken care of for a while. A lone swing was hanging from a tree next to the house, but it was worn and had obviously received a lot of attention at one time. Danni had a nostalgic feeling, looking at the house. It reminded her a lot of the house she and her mother had shared once upon a time.  


A tug on her hand pulled her out of her observations and she turned to Tai, who was looking up at her hopefully, “Will yah come visit us? Tell us ‘bout your adventures and stuff?” Jay had his arms crossed and he wasn’t looking at her, but it was obvious he wanted her to respond in positive to the questions. Momo was looking up at her as well, a dark eye peeking out from behind green bangs glittering with eager hope.  


She smirked, ruffling the boy’s hair and said, “Sure, kid. If it doesn’t work out here, I’ll be staying with you for a while anyways.”  


Momo frowned and said rather resolutely, “It’ll work out.” Danni stared at him, startled by the resolute belief that she would get what she wanted. The kid really did remind her of Zoro, and now it wasn’t just in looks. She had already ruled out the kid being her crew mate’s kid; it just wasn’t that feasible.  


She huffed out a laugh, shaking her head in amusement and smiled, “Thanks, kid.” The boys grinned at her before they all scampered back to the town. The sun was beginning to set, so they needed to get back home before it got dark. She watched them leave, before steeling herself and walking up the cobbled path that led to the front door. The gunner paused at the door, hand hovering over the wood and biting her lip. What if she couldn’t do it...?  


No. She could. She wouldn’t fail her crew. Her family. Her _captain _.  
__

Taking a deep breath through her nose, she knocked on the door. It took a moment but the door swung open and she couldn’t help but stare. The man who had answered the door was old, but still fit. His hair was a silvery white gray, and was pulled back at the base of his neck in a ponytail, while two strands escaped the front. His eyes were a deep, dark brown with silver lining the edges and he had a scar on the right side of his face starting on his forehead and crossing over his eye before stopping at his jaw line where it met his ear, and another scar on his left, lower cheek in the shape of an x.  


He had hard lines around his mouth and eyes, and she wasn’t sure if they were laugh lines or stress lines. His expression was hard and showed no emotions he might have been feeling. Despite his age he was still tall and broad and she was reminded of her father in the strong figure standing in front of her. “Gen-san?” she asked, shaking away the feeling of familiarity.  


The man eyed her and she fought back a shiver at the gaze. She had the distinct feeling he could take her down and make her into a feast without exerting any effort whatsoever. It was a thought that was just as much humbling as it was terrifying. “Who’s asking?” he responded, voice deep and husky with age.  


She refused to fidget and answered, “Danni Beckman. My dad told me you might teach me.” She immediately noticed the tightening of his face and added, “But I had to get you to agree myself.” She knew it wouldn’t be enough, and she could tell by the tightening around his eyes that he wasn’t all too happy with her. She didn’t know if it was because of her name, or because she was trying to get him to become her teacher. Danni closed her eyes and bowed. “Please. I need to get stronger,” she asked, voice barely above a whisper and she wouldn’t deny the raw emotion her voice held in the plea.  


There was silence, but she didn’t rise from her bow or open her eyes. “Why?” the man asked simply, but that one word nearly sent her over the edge. She could see Kuma coming towards her. Felt Luffy’s fear, weakness, anger, _everything _, but she _couldn’t do anything _. She couldn’t help her _nakama; her family _. They were separated and she couldn’t find them; didn’t know where they were, or what was happening. All she could feel was Luffy and she had to fight for a survival. Had to fight to get back to her nakama.  
But Luffy...god, _Luffy _. The sheer _pain, misery, loss _. She couldn’t find a way out. She wasn’t with him. She couldn’t help him. She couldn’t help her _captain _. She could only _feel _and she wished she couldn’t. She didn’t want this. Not this. Anything but _this _. Her eyes snapped open, but she wasn't seeing anything. Luffy had been alone. So alone. He’d lost his _brother and she hadn’t been there _.  
__________________

_None of them had been _.  
__

They’d all been _helpless _and damn it all to hell if she _never _wanted to feel that way again.  
____

A hand reached out to touch her head, and she reacted instinctively, ducking away from the hand and swinging her rifle off her back and at the perceived threat. Her rifle never hit, stopped in place by a weathered hand, and her mind cleared, snapping back to reality with an intensity that almost sent her stumbling back. She stared at Gen with wide eyes, gasping for breath and grip tight around her rifle. The old man stared back calmly and repeated, “Why do you wish to be stronger?”  


The gunner swallowed and managed to choke out hoarsely, “I couldn’t do _anything _. I _need _to be stronger. For them.” Her eyes began to water and her bottom lip trembled as she added weakly, but still with a firm resolve underneath, “For my _nakama _.”  
______

Gen was silent, simply staring at the girl, no, young woman, standing in front of him. Then finally, he heaved a resigned sigh and grumbled, “You really are your father’s daughter. That damn brat. He _knew _I wouldn’t be able to say no to you.”  
__

Danni stared, unsure of what was happening. “What?” she asked, clutching her rifle to her like it was life line. Gen turned, motioning for her to follow him, which she did a bit warily.  


“That damn brat of mine knows me too well,” the man muttered, leading her into the living room and motioning for her to sit on the couch, which she did, looking at him in utter confusion. Seeing this he sighed and explained, “Your father. Benn, right? He’s my youngest child...and my most troublesome one.”

Predatory

“You’ve already grasped the fact that just because you use a gun, doesn’t mean you can’t do close range fighting,” Gen said standing in front of his new student. “However, what you most likely haven’t thought about it firing a bullet while doing close range fighting. Most people see it as being impossible when using a rifle. I say they’re morons.”  


Danni blinked, furrowing her brow. She didn’t think it was impossible, maybe a bit impractical since a rifle was longer than a pistol or revolver, but he was right. She hadn’t thought of actually firing while fighting close range. She supposed it was because there was a lot of room for misfiring and hitting yourself rather than your opponent.  


“But,” Gen began again. “You also have to remember that a gun is primarily a long range weapon. For now though, we’re not going to be working with guns. We’re going to build up your strength, speed, and endurance.” Danni didn’t like the look in her grandfather’s eyes.  


She was soon cursing the man violently in her head as she couldn’t do it out loud without wasting precious breath. Strapped to her arms and legs were heavy weights (which he had promised almost gleefully would only get heavier), and on her back was a backpack full of rocks. Now, if she had just been running carrying all the weight, she would’ve been cursing him only to the seven layers of hell. Except, it wasn’t just carrying all the weight. She had to dodge small, sharp rocks as she ran with all the weight.  


She was cursing him to hell and back so she could murder him all over again. Repeatedly. 

xxx

“You’re not always going to have a gun available to you,” Gen barked, tossing another rock at his pupil, who dodged it sloppily, panting heavily as sweat poured off her. “Sometimes, _having _a gun will be a liability rather than an asset! You need to be able to fight just as well _with _a gun as _without _a gun. Now, defend!”  
______

It was the only warning she got before he lunged at her, hands in a claw like form. She twisted out of the way, but his other hand slammed into her side, fingers digging into her skin before he ripped his hand back and barked, “I said defend! Not dodge!” He swiped with his hand again, aiming for her neck and she barely managed to lift her arms up in front of her to block the attack.  


It still sent her skidding back some feet and she gasped wildly at the strain.  


He came at her again, this time coming in low. She sloppily blocked it with her arms again, and he quickly grasped the hands and flipped her over his shoulder. Danni landed on her back harshly, the breath knocked out of her completely. She gasped, coughing roughly and Gen stared down at her with a frown. “Don’t just use your arms. Your entire body is a weapon,” he said, waiting patiently for her to catch her breath and stumble back to her feet.  


When she finally managed to get her feet back under her, he stared at her contemplatively, head cocked to the side. “I want you to attack me,” he ordered. “I’ll only defend. I want you to watch and _feel _what I do. Don’t hesitate.” Danni could feel her body trembling, but adrenaline was pumping through her.  
__

She wasted no time in falling into her stance and attacking, contorting her body in ways that would make most people cringe. She did as instructed. Watching how he used every part of his body to defend from her attacks, and _feeling _the way his body moved when she attacked. It didn’t take her long to realize and accommodate to his moves.  
__

Gen stayed silent when he saw her begin to realize and react to his movements. He didn’t think it would be long before she was instinctively adjusting those moves into her fighting style. It hadn’t taken him long to realize that his granddaughter was a predator. She didn’t defend well. She attacked whatever threatened her with an animalistic intensity. He didn’t know if she had always been like that, or if it was a recent development, but it didn’t change the fact that every move she made was with predatory grace and finesse. 

xxx

Danni examined the gun handed to her, running her hands over it before taking it apart and examining it in more depth. Gen watched her silently, letting her familiarize herself with the gun. When she was finished she looked at him, silently asking what they were doing now. “You’re going to load it, unload it and repeat until I’m satisfied with your speed,” he said blandly. None of his sons had liked this particular lesson, especially Benn. He was a bit surprised when Danni actually looked interested and excited at the prospect.  


He eyed her silently for a moment, before he shook his head and stood, leading her out back. Once they were settled he simply said, “Load.” She did it, fingers a bit sloppy as she wasn’t intimately familiar with the gun. “Unload.” She did so. “Load.” She repeated the action, a bit faster than the first time. “Unload.”  


And so it continued. With each load and unload she got faster and faster, almost to the point where she could have it loaded and reloaded within seconds. Satisfied with that, he smiled and said cheerfully, “Now you get to do it while you’re running.” He enjoyed the groan he received for that announcement, but she didn’t protest.  


Gen watched her, giving out pointers as he saw fit, and he set about designing a rifle for his student. One specific to her and only her. It would be his gift to her. Unlike most gifts a teacher gave to a student, he wouldn’t be giving it to her at the end. No, she would need to know the gun inside and out, until it became as much of a part of her as the one her father had given her. And maybe she’d be able to use both rifles at the same time, but only time would tell. 

Shift

“Haven’t seen yah around before,” a velvety voice drawled, catching Danni’s attention. She turned in the direction it had come from and cocked her head to the side. It was a man around her age with a bald head that was covered in black tribal like markings, a line of dots going down the middle of his forehead. He had even more tattoos on his neck and arms, and his lips were drawn in a lazy smirk as he eyed her. “What’s your name, beautiful?”  


Danni frowned, brief flashes of her old mayor coming to mind, before it was overtaken by that one pirate under Bellamy. She scowled, shoving the images away and repressing a shiver. She glared at the man and said shortly, “None of your business.” She moved to walk away, but she was stopped by brief touch to her shoulder and she barely refrained from grabbing the offending hand and slamming him into the ground.  


“Hey now, I didn’t mean to offend yah,” the man said soothingly, giving her a cautious look. She stared at him with narrowed eyes, before giving him a short nod. He grinned and swept an arm out as he said, “Well then, let’s start over. The name’s Wang. The shop yah are currently standing in front of is my tattoo parlor.”  


Danni perked up at that, turning to face him fully and eyeing the shop in curiosity. “You do tattoos?” she asked, turning thoughtful and absently running her fingers over the tattoo she had on her thigh currently hidden by her tights.  


He shrugged, grin still on his face as he put his hands in his pockets, “Yup. Piercings, too. Yah interested?” He didn’t seem to mind the lack of introduction on her part, rocking on the balls of his feet lazily.  


She looked at the shop thoughtfully, before turning her gaze on him, “Possibly. I’ll have to think about it.” Wang’s grin widened and she snorted, putting a hand on her hip. “Name’s Danni,” she introduced finally. “You know where the blacksmith is?”  


Wang shrugged, “Sure I do. Covra should be taking lunch with his brat right about now. Want me to take yah there?”  


Danni hummed, glancing at his shop one last time, before nodding, “If you don’t mind.” Wang took the lead, starting up a bunch of random chatter on his part, though she interjected with a few comments here and there. It didn't take all that long to reach the blacksmith, and Danni nodded at the tattoo artist, “Thanks.”  


Wang grinned, giving her a short wave, “No problem. Come and see me when you decide, yeah?”  


She gave him a short smirk, before entering the blacksmith’s, calling out, “Hello? Gen-san sent me to pick something up for him?” She took in the shop as, while it was a blacksmith, it was also a weapon’s shop. The walls had swords and guns hanging on them more so then anything, but there were a few axes and halberds, and even more exotic pieces as well.  


“Gen-san, you said?” a gruff voice asked as a man came out from a door behind the counter in the back. The man had short dark hair covered with a black bandana and piercing blue eyes the color of the sea. He looked at her critically, taking in the rifle slung on her back and the knife and revolver on her hip as well as the tiger head tied around her hips. “Ah, yah must be Danni.”  


The gunner quirked an eyebrow, making her way towards the counter and replying, “That would be me, yes. You’re Covra?”  


The man grunted bending down to grab something (presumably Gen’s package or whatever) from under the counter. What he put on the counter was a beautiful rifle. It was a deep, dark black with silver accents and engravings and it was shaped slightly different than most rifles. She reached a hand out and touched it lightly, running her fingers over it. “Gen said it’s yours,” Covra said gruffly, folding his arms across his chest loosely.  


Danni’s eyes shot up towards him in disbelief, but she held her tongue. Instead, she picked the rifle up with steady hands, surprised at how light it was. She studied it closer, running her hands over the bolt handle and bolt, and asking rhetorically, “It’s not a flintlock?”  


Covra answered anyway with an added explanation, “No. Gen specified it to not be, said something about a flintlock taking too long to load for a battle. I made a couple magazines, though he didn’t ask for that, in case yah wanted them yourself.”  


Danni didn’t look at him, still taking in the rifle and answered the silent question, “I’ll take them, though I don’t know for sure yet if I’ll actually use them or not. I use specialized powders for specific bullets, so I’d have to figure out how to make that work.” Covra grunted in understanding, not even flinching when the woman expertly shifted the gun in her hand so that it was resting on her shoulder and holding it at the ready fire position.  


“It’s lighter than I’m used to,” she commented thoughtfully. “But it fits perfectly. This is an amazing rifle; you did excellent work.”  


Covra’s lips quirked slightly, “Thank you. It’s lighter than normal, but it’s actually reinforced. Gen mentioned that yah used your rifle as a bat as much as a gun, so I made sure to make it nigh unbreakable. It’s coated slightly with seastone, so be careful if yah got friends with the Devil’s Power.”  


“They know better than to touch my guns,” Danni responded lightly, flexing her fingers around the gun before placing it back on the counter. “I feel like I should pay you, but I know Shishou already has. So, thank you.”  


She bowed to him and the dark haired man flapped a hand, “None is needed. I enjoyed the challenge, and my son got a lesson out of it as well.” As if summoned by the mere mention of him, a familiar floppy, green haired child rounded the corner at high speed, nearly barreling into Danni’s legs. “Momo!” the blacksmith scolded sharply. “What have I told you about running in the shop!?”  


Momo skidded to a stop right in front of Danni, smiling sheepishly, “Sorry, Da.”  


Covra sighed, rolling his eyes, before he noticed something out of place on his child’s face. Before he could open his mouth to ask where the large bruise on the boy’s face had come from, Danni’s hand clamped on Momo’s chin, forcing his head up. The pirate’s mouth was turned down sharply and her eyes were narrowed as she examined the bruise. “Miss Danni!” Momo yelped, staring at her with wide eyes.  


“Where did you get this?” she asked sharply in response, making the boy’s back straighten automatically. He swallowed and avoiding looking at her, cheeks flushing. “Momo.”  


“Ain’t nothin’ really, Miss Danni,” the green haired boy mumbled, scuffing the floor with his foot. Covra kept a wary eye on the woman, noticing something his son was still too young to pick up on. The air around her had sharpened and taken on a wild tone, sending the hair’s on the back of his neck up. He felt a shiver crawl down his back involuntarily, and was suddenly glad he wasn’t on this woman’s shit list.  


“I don’t believe you,” Danni grunted, letting go of his chin. “But I’ll leave it alone. If it happens again, you _will _tell me, brat.” Momo nodded hurriedly, and Covra raised an eyebrow. He didn’t doubt for a second his son _would _tell her if it happened again. Now, if only he’d do that for him.  
____

“Ne, Miss Danni,” Momo started, peering up at her innocently. Danni didn’t believe it for a second. “Can Tai, me an’ Jay watch you train?”  


Danni raised an eyebrow, cocking her hip out as she placed a hand on her hip and asked in return, “Have you all asked your parents?” Momo’s smile turned sheepish before he turned pleading eyes to his dad. Covra stared back stonily for a minute before he sighed and nodded, waving a hand carelessly.  


“Sure, go on ahead,” he grumbled. “But yah had better listen to whatever Miss Danni or Gen says, yah hear me, Momo? I mean it.” Momo nodded rapidly and Danni almost thought his head would snap off with the force. “Now, go tell Tai and Jay that if they want to go too, they had better ask their parents.” Momo’s grin threatened to split his face as he ran out of the shop, eager to go tell his friends the news. Covra sighed, giving up on trying on telling his son to stop running in the shop.  


“Cute kid,” Danni commented. “Reminds me a lot of a crew mate of mine. In mannerisms... _and _looks.”  
__

The blacksmith leaned against the counter, face a bit serious, “Yeah? Probably means they might be related. Momo’s mother died in childbirth, but she’d made me his godfather. I didn’t expect the kid’s father to show up at all, being a pirate as he was, and one that probably has more kids out there than any other pirate. He certainly didn’t get his hair from his mother.”  


“Ah, that explains it then,” Danni muttered. Zoro and Momo were half brothers. The swordsman had certainly never mentioned his parents, and she was pretty sure he was an orphan. It wasn’t that far of a stretch for his dad to have been a pirate that couldn’t keep it in his pants. Or use protection. Shaking her head, she gave the blacksmith a grin, “Thanks again for the rifle. Do you make bullets by any chance?”  


Covra didn’t bother responding to the thanks, and instead answered the question, “Depends on what you want.”  


xxx

Gen sat across from his student, watching her with careful eye as she sat in front of him, body relaxed and eyes closed. An idea had occurred to him as he had continued to spar against the woman and he had finally brought it up with her. She already moved and had even begun to think like a predator, so he thought, why not take it even further?  


They were going to wake up the primal instincts that were deep inside of her and use them as a weapon.  


Danni dug inside of herself. She hadn’t needed Gen to point out that she wasn’t quite as human as before her stint on the predator island, but she hadn’t thought of actually using that as an actual weapon. She’d always fought with her rifle primarily, and only when that option hadn’t been available had she used her hand to hand combat skills.  


She probed deeper reaching a part of herself that she had always kept hidden. The part of her that had delighted in bloodshed and the thrill of the kill. It was the part that had made her usually kill her opponents rather than leave them behind. It was the dark part of herself that she had been just as terrified of as she had longed for it.  


She let herself sink into the deep darkness, red beginning to haze the edges of her mind. She would let the beast chained inside of her out and she would _become _it in order to be strong enough for her captain. The darkness submerged her completely and she felt like she was floating in water. She opened her eyes and came face to face with a great beast. It was huge and fierce with glowing gold eyes that seemed to pierce straight through her.  
__

The creature seemed to be a mix of three large predators. A Tiger. A Bear. A Wolf. Its coat rippled, showing off the jagged stripes covering its body. Sleek muscles bulged and a long, sleek tail swished back and forth behind it. It had the bulk of a bear and the claws of one, but the paws were tiger, as were the legs. Its muscle was a mixture of wolf and tiger, a slight mane flaring down its neck and chest. Its ears were that of a wolf, and so was the shape of its eyes. Its lips curled back revealing the teeth of the bear and it snarled, a low rumbling growl reverberating through her entire body.  


It crouched and she had no time to react before it lunged for her.  


Danni’s eyes snapped open and Gen stared, making sure to stay utterly still. The air around her had changed completely, as had her body language. Her eyes had turned gold and they stared at him with a sharp intensity, filled with animal wariness. The air around her held a wildness to it that hadn’t been present before, and her body had become loose yet ready to pounce at any given moment. The pirate’s eyes roved over her surroundings, taking in the forests and the cottage like home behind him.  


She cocked her head to the side, staring up at the sky and Gen shifted slightly. Her head snapped to him, lips curled back and body suddenly tensed. He froze in place, holding himself loosely and trying to seem as unthreatening as possible. She narrowed her eyes at him and leaned forward slowly, placing her hands on the ground and sniffing the air slightly. Her body relaxed and a purr like noise rumbled past her throat. She put her hands on his shoulders and brought him down to her level, placing her nose against his neck and inhaling deeply.  


Gen relaxed slowly, though he made no move to touch her himself. She nuzzled his neck before rubbing her cheek against his briefly and pulling back. “Danni?” he asked cautiously, unsure if she was actually there, of if this was just her primal side. He had never anything like this before, and was unsure on how to go about dealing with it. She looked confused before her gold eyes melted back into the usual dark brown.  


She blinked rapidly, shaking her head roughly. “What,” her voice cracked slightly and she cleared her throat, brow furrowed before starting again, “What happened?”  


Gen stared at her.

Bloodlust

“Danni!” Jojo greeted cheerfully, smile bright and showing off her dimples. “It’s been awhile since you’ve come down!”  


Danni smiled, sliding onto one of the stools at the bar. “Sorry, about that. I’ve been working. Can I have some sake?” she responded. The bartender nodded her head and turned around to fetch the requested alcohol.  


The pirate didn’t even so much as twitch when a body slid onto the seat next to her and a smooth voice said cheerily, “Well, aren’t yah a sight for sore eyes!”  


Danni gave the man an amused smile and said in return, “Hello to you too, Wang.”  


The tattoo artist wiggled his eyebrows at her, lips stretched in a wide grin. He bumped his shoulder against her’s and asked, “Yah decide if you’re gettin’ a tat or not?” Jojo returned, setting down the bottle of sake and a full cup in front of Danni, and he asked, “Can I get a whiskey?”  


“I have,” Danni answered, nodding her thanks at Jojo. “You free today?”  


Wang’s smile turned into a teasing leer, “For you, baby? Always.” Danni snorted, rolling her eyes and downing her cup of sake. Wang had grown on her and his teasing flirting had gone a long way in making her more comfortable around men not on her crew. “But seriously, where’ve yah been lately? It seems only the rascals have you seen you, besides old man Gen, of course.”  


Danni looked at him and let her eyes bleed gold and baring her teeth in a smile. Wang blinked at her, startled. “Working,” she said lightly, her eyes bleeding back to her usual color. After hours of training a day, she’d finally gotten the hang of her primal side to the point where she actually remembered what happened, though she was still working on her control over her instincts. They were still a bit hair triggered and she always had to greet Gen and the kids before she could do anything.  


The kids had actually been a big help in her gaining control. Gen had introduced them to her primal side slowly, but it hadn’t really been needed. Her primal side had taken them in as her cubs almost immediately and was fiercely protective over them. The kids had been thrilled by this side of her and had great fun in helping her remember what had happened while she was in that state. This side of her training was the only one she let them sit in on, because all of her other ones had the risk of them getting hit by a stray bullet or something.  


“Yah are one interestin’ woman, Danni,” Wang said, giving her an unreadable look. Danni looked at him confusion, opening her mouth to ask what exactly he meant by that, but the look was gone and Wang had spotted someone behind her, a smile splitting his face. “Oh! Mayor, what brings yah to the bar? Yah don’t usually come here.”  


Danni turned slightly to take in the man the tattoo artist was talking too. It was a man probably in his late forties with messy blonde hair that was cut short in the back and a darker color. His eyes were a startling silver color, and his lips were pulled in a smile. “I’m here on business today, I’m afraid, Wang,” the mayor said, voice a level, warm tone, even when speaking about business.  


“I do hope not with me, Shiro,” Jojo said as she set a glass of whiskey down in front of Wang, who grabbed it and took a sip, a blissful expression coming over his face.  


Shiro shook his head, and gestured over at Danni, “No, it’s with our guest here.”  


Danni cocked an eyebrow at that and turned around on her seat fully, leaning against the bar as she asked, “Business? With me?” Shiro stared at her, looking as if he’d been hit by a wave of déjà vu. She stared back at him, taking a sip of her alcohol. “You have business with me?” she prodded, when it seemed like he still wasn’t going to say anything.  


He visibly shook himself before asking drily, “Yah wouldn’t happen to be related to anyone on this island, would yah?”  


The pirate narrowed her eyes and said back in a clipped voice, “What’s it to you?”  
Before he could reply, Wang butted into the conversation, scowling, “Did someone make a complaint about my girl here being on the island?”  


Danni stared, “Why would someone complain about me being on the island?”  


Jojo was the one who answered, “We don’t allow strangers on the island, Danni. Unless you’re related to someone here, or you move here permanently, we don’t let anyone stay here for more than a day.” So that’s what Momo meant when he had said Kupa didn’t get strangers. “If you leave the island, most of the time you don’t come back. Gen-san’s boys were a rarity. All three of them left the island, and only one ever visited on a regular basis.”  


“Huh,” Danni muttered.  


Shiro sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose, “Yes, someone complained about Miss Danni being on the island, but it’s obvious to me now, that she’s clearly related to someone on the island.” He didn’t mention who had made the complaint, or just who Danni was related to. “And so with that, I’ll be taking my leave. Enjoy your stay on the island, Miss Danni.” The mayor bowed shortly before leaving the bar, and Wang grumbled.  


“It was probably Hedobi who made the complaint when he realized you were still on the island,” Jojo said airily. “He doesn’t like being told no, that plus the fact you threatened him with a blade to his throat, he’s probably still feeling really sore about it.”  


Danni scoffed, “Like I care. It’s no concern of mine.”  


Wang wrinkled his nose, setting his empty glass down on the bar with a few belli next to it. “Yah wanna get your tat done now?” he asked. “I need to do something before I go wring that stupid asshole’s neck.”  


Danni rolled her eyes, but stood, tossing her own set of belli on the counter. “Thanks for the drink, Jojo,” she said, making the woman smile and wave it off cheerily.  


“What’s the tat you want?” Wang asked as they headed out of the bar and for his shop.  


The pirate hummed, staring up at the sky. “Can you do color?” she asked in response. “I have an idea in my head, but it won’t work without color.” She wanted to get a tattoo that represented her nakama. She never wanted to forget them or what she was doing this all for. It would serve as a physical reminder of what she had. 

xxx

Danni’s ears perked when the distressed cry of a child reached her ears. Her head shot up, gold eyes narrowed with pupils blown wide. “Danni?” Gen asked, looking at her cautiously. He was ignored as the currently feral woman stood up, brow furrowed. Her ears caught the sound of skin against skin contact before the sniffle of a child about to cry, but trying to stay strong and hold it in. Fury shot through her veins, and she took off before Gen could react.  


“Give it back!” Jay’s furious shout sounded. “That ain’t yours!”  


There was the sound of a sharp smack and Jay let out an oomph as he landed on the ground roughly, the dirt scraping against the palms of his hands. Tears filled his eyes at the sharp sting of pain and he bit his trembling lip to stop himself from crying. “Shut up, you noisy brat!” a slimy voice snarled.  


Tai scowled from his own spot on the ground, holding his cheek as it throbbed in pain. He had tear tracks on his cheeks and snot dripping from his nose and his knees were scraped and bleeding. Momo’s face was twisted in anger and he leapt at the man and bit his arm, the one holding the crudely wrapped gift. Hedobi howled in pain and he swung his arm, shoving at the child’s head with his other hand. “Get off you wretched monster!” he shouted, sending the boy flying, where he skidded across the ground.  


Momo let out a pained whimper when he stopped, tears spilling over as he sat up, cradling the arm he’d landed on. He didn’t care about being strong. All he could feel was pain. He threw his head back and sobbed, clutching his scraped and bleeding arm to himself and rocking back and forth. The sudden wave of pure bloodlust washed over the group and Hedobi froze where he was checking the bite mark on his arm.  


He slowly looked up and let out a whimper at the sight that greeted him.  


Danni stood behind Momo, eyes practically glowing as the gold pierced straight at the man. Her lips were pulled back, revealing her teeth and he noticed with fear that her canines looked a lot sharper than a normal human’s. A low growling echoed in his ears and he fell back with a crash when she lunged at him. Her eyes flashed as she loomed over him, foot pressed against his chest, holding him down to the ground.  


“What do you think you are doing to _my _cubs?” she snarled, her voice a mixture of animalistic growls and human speech. Hedobi whimpered, face pale and entire body shaking like a leaf in the wind. She pressed her foot on his chest harder and sneered, “ _Well _?” He stared at her uncomprehendingly before his eyes rolled back in a dead faint.  
____

She gave a rough half snort half snarl before kicking him once in the ribs, where a satisfying crack sounded. She then swiped up the crudely wrapped gift from his hand and stalked over to the three children, who were looking at her in awe and pain. She crouched in front of them, raking her eyes over their forms and sniffing the air. Her snarl worsened at the sight of blood on all three of them, and the bruises that marked their bodies.  


Momo whimpered in pain, and Danni made a low whining noise. Without a word she scooped all three of them up into her arms and easily carried them back to Gen’s house with a single mindedness. Gen didn’t say a word when she returned, merely went to go fetch the first aid kit and a bowl of water and a rag. Danni tended to the wounds with tender care and much cooing and low chuffing sounds. When they were all taken care of, she herded them over to a tree and practically curled around them.  


All three of them fell asleep like that and Gen took care of telling the parents that the boys would be staying with Danni for the night.

Compulsion

“I don’t have anything left to teach you,” Gen said. After the Hedobi incident, Danni’s control over her primal side had suddenly reached a breaking point, and she could now switch over whenever she wanted to and had control over her instincts. They didn’t have any idea why it had suddenly happened after that, but it had. After that it had only been honing it and assimilating it into her fighting style.  


Danni nodded her head before bowing and saying, “Thank you for teaching me, Shishou.” It had been a year exactly and she had one more to go. Despite her grandfather having nothing left to teach her, she had an idea on what she was going to do next.  


Gen eyed her for a moment, before resting a hand on her head and asking, “Do you know what you will do now?”  


Danni straightened from her bow and nodded again. “I’ve got a few things here that I need to do, but after that I’m going to head back to Predator Island.” She had told her teacher where she had been before her dad had dropped her off, and the man had been intrigued by the island, though he would never be going there himself.  


He smiled and pulled the woman into a hug, “You will make it back to them and you will be strong enough to do something this time.” Danni nodded, hugging him back tightly and basking in the truth, love, and pride she could feel coming from the man that was her grandfather. “Now, go,” he said, pulling back. Danni grinned and nodded before heading for town. “And don’t be like your brat of a father, and visit once in a while!” Gen called after her, she raised a hand in response.

xxx

“You’re leaving?” all three boys asked in unison, dismay evident in their voices and expressions. Jojo smiled sadly, and Wang was pouting at the bar, sulking over a glass of whiskey.  


Danni sighed, crouching down in front of them. She stared at them seriously and said, “I have to go. I need to get stronger for my nakama, remember?” The boys nodded, pouting.  


“But you’ll visit right?” Jay asked, looking down and scuffing his foot against the floor.  


“And bring your crew?” Tai asked, looking at her with puppy dog eyes.  


“I wanna meet my brother!” Momo added, pouting.  


Danni laughed and ruffled their hair, much to their disgruntlement. “Sure I will! This isn’t goodbye forever, you know!” she answered. She smiled and stood back up before heading over to Wang. She nudged him with her shoulder and said, “Hey. Thank you again for doing my tattoo. It means a lot to me.”  


Wang quit his pouting and looked at her seriously, “Never forget what you’re getting stronger for, Danni.” He then grinned and pecked her cheek, “Now, go kick some ass, baby girl!”  


Danni rolled her eyes before she turned to hug Jojo, who was holding back tears. “When you want that boat, just go to the dock. It’ll be ready for you,” the bartender whispered in the pirate’s ear. Danni nodded, before she pulled back and smiled at the group.  


“Alright,” she said with a smile. “We’ll meet again, okay?”

xxx

Danni stared at the entrance to the cave system that she had found her first day on the island, this time with no raccoon like creature in sight. The wind ruffled her hair, now in two braids instead of one, and she took a deep breath, eyes flashing gold briefly. Something she had noticed after getting in touch with her primal side was that she felt healthier and she hadn’t had an attack in months. Chopper’s medicine had run out four months ago, but her condition hadn’t gotten worse in the slightest bit, even when she’d over worked her body.  


She was kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop.  


The pirate shook away the thoughts and entered the cave. The deeper she went the darker it got, but instead of having to travel in pitch black, mushrooms that glowed a faint green began to appear, lighting the way. The cave system wasn’t a maze in the least and the walls were smooth. The ground was solid under her feet and smooth as well, having given way to stone a while back. There were no creatures in the caves, and the only plant life was the glowing mushrooms.  


She ran her fingers along the wall gently, amazed at how smooth it was and so was surprised when her finger got pricked by something. She cursed, jerking her hand away and sucking on her bleeding finger. She furrowed her brow at the wall and stared when she realized she was staring a rectangle shaped, wooden door. The wood was old and moldy, barely holding itself together. Cautiously, she pushed the door open (amazingly enough it didn’t break) and gaped at the room that was revealed.  


The room was square in shape and rather small, but it had a wall lined with shelves, filled with what looked like journals and animal bones, and a desk and chair shoved against the back wall. Mushrooms were growing in the four corners of the room, shedding a dim lighting for the room. A threadbare rug was spread across the floor, relatively intact despite its obvious age.  


Danni stepped into the room, feeling compelled to look at the shelves and discover what was hidden in the journals. Gently, she pulled one of them off the shelf and carefully opened it to the first page, as the cover was completely blank. The pages were yellow and the edges were worn and cracked. She stared down at the first page, the ink faded, but still readable.  


_Ferus M. Kuyna _  
__

_October 7, 1300 _  
__

“What?” she murmured in disbelief. “But how...?” The words stared up at her as if mocking her and she couldn’t believe it. How was it even possible? But was it really that hard to believe? She had never said where her family had originated or anything about her ancestors. So was it really that hard to believe?  


Danni swallowed roughly, fingers trembling around the journal and her mother’s maiden name staring back at her.


	7. Chapter 7

Existing

_As far as I know I am the only one left of our family that remembers the Primal Process, or at least was told of it, and so I will be the one to leave a record of it for my/our descendants. This will be my last journal, and I wish whoever finds this the best of luck. ___

Danni stared down at the journal in her hands, not sure what to make of it exactly. The journals dated all the way back to the end of the Void Century, detailing the disappearance of the Ferus family or, as they had been known before, the Ferox family. It never explained why or how they disappeared, but it was implied heavily that _no _one should find out that the family still existed, especially the government.  
__

She had looked to see if there were any journals _before _the Void Century, and there was, but they were old and falling apart, the script ancient and faded. She hadn’t been able to read them at all. Her mother’s family, _her _family, was of the sort she had never seen before. They were users of the Primal Side of humans, more animal than human, and were great warriors. She was shocked to find that all of the women of the family had been sick, but because of the Primal Process, that sickness disappeared from their bodies like it never existed, making their bodies stronger than ever.  
____

There were dangers to the process though. Only two out of every five made it through. The rest died. The journal described how their doctors had tried to use the aspect of the process that rid the body of the disease to create a cure, but they had all ended in failure and the head of the family had put an end to any more experimentations less a massacre occur. However, they did discover something about the process that led to less deaths of the process.  


The disease didn’t affect animals.  


It was discovered that most of those who had died during the process hadn’t awakened their Primal Side, which made them more animal than human. It then became a requirement that whoever wished to go through the process had to wake their Primal Side. The deaths decreased, but they still occurred because of the battles fought.  


Danni nearly laughed as she read through the process. She hadn’t originally been willing to try something that had been the cause of so many deaths in her ancestors, but reading through it...she’d already done half of the process without even realizing it. She’d woken her Primal Side up and she’d defeated the top predator in Predator Island. She’d become more animal than human and that was why she hadn’t had an attack in months. It wasn’t fully gone; it wouldn’t be until she ate the plant in the book.  


The plant was called _ater corpora sanguis _and it was poisonous to humans, unless of course you’d woken your Primal Side up. It was a plant that carnivores would eat as it tasted like blood and filled the stomach. It wasn’t nutritious by any means, and if you ate too much of it you’d easily become addicted to it, but it was also an antitoxin.  
__

Danni had never held the hope of a cure ever existing, and knew that she would die before she could even truly live, but if this worked...she wouldn’t have to worry about being a liability to the crew, or leaving them too soon. She would be able to stay with them to the end. It wasn’t even an option to not do the process anymore.  
If she died...  


Danni frowned. She couldn’t leave her crew with nothing, leaving them to wonder what had happened to her or if she had abandoned them. No, she couldn’t do that. She looked around the room and found a small journal sitting on the desk. She picked it up, opening it and found it empty. She stared at it thoughtfully and tucked it into her bag before pulling out a small stack of papers and a pen. Sitting back down on the floor she began to write letters to each of her crew members. She’d give them to Jojo and tell her to hold onto them until the end of the year, and if she doesn’t come back, send them to Saboady. She’d give the bartender the vivre card she had for Rayleigh and she could use that to send them.  


She wouldn’t leave her crew with nothing if she didn’t make it.

Left

Danni left Kupa, letters and vivre card left with Jojo, and a log pose for the island in her bag. It would take two weeks to reach Predator Island again. The pirate was sitting at the head of the boat, body relaxed and eyes closed. She inhaled deeply and spread her senses out. Her dad had been surprised at the fact that she could feel her crew’s emotions and even blend them with her own, but Shanks had said it was a rare aspect of Kenbunshoku Haki. Benn had taken it in stride and had pretty much beat the other, more common, aspect of the Haki into her head.  


But she wasn’t using that one at the moment. She wanted to check up on her crew and have her primal side get accumulated to them. She hadn’t tried to use her Haki while she was in her primal state before, so she wasn’t sure how this was going to work. Danni relaxed fully, her breathing evening out and she simply _felt _.  
__

She felt Usopp first. The beast inside of her growled warningly and she growled back sending her feelings for the teen at the creature. It examined them closely before settling down with a few chuffs. The sharpshooter had become _cub _to the beast and would be protected fiercely when the need arose. The small knot in her stomach eased and she focused back on the teen. His emotions flowed into her and she smiled, knowing he was well and good.  
__

Chopper was next and she had to fight with her beast to make it back down about the poor reindeer being _prey _. Eventually, she managed to make it see the doctor as a _cub _rather than _prey _, and she groaned, wondering if it was going to be like this every time she found one of her crewmates. Danni reached for Chopper’s emotions and frowned when she felt a continuous frustration and worry directed at _her _. The pirate’s frown deepened and wished she could do something to ease the doctor’s worry about her.  
________

The poor thing probably thought she was close to death’s door, the longer time went by and he couldn’t find anything to help her, and couldn’t send any medicine to her because he didn’t know where she was. Her beast growled in displeasure, pacing in agitation. It didn’t like not being able to help the _cub _any more than she did.  
__

Franky was next, and her beast immediately took her feelings for the cyborg and marked him as the _sentinel _of the pack. She supposed that made sense. He was shipwright and had even created Sunny, so him being the person that patrolled the territory and ensure the pack was safe on said territory made perfect sense. She huffed out a short laugh and focused on Franky’s feelings, smiling when she felt his joy and excitement at discovering something new.  
__

Sanji followed and she was a bit startled when his emotions hit her before her beast could evaluate the cook. Just sheer desperation, disgust and fear were prevalent, but there was also the sense of pure determination and urgency. Where the hell had Sanji ended up at? Her beast rumbled in agreement, but marked the man as the _hunter _. He was the one that provided food and kept them fed and their food supplies up to par.  
__

Brook pushed his way in, emotions elated and jubilant, though there was still that constant thrum of loneliness that tended to cling to him like a stubborn burr. Her beast chuffed and _chew toy _was its answer, even with her feelings for the skeleton taken in. She couldn’t stop the bubble of laughter, as the emotions of her beast curled through her. It told her that _chew toy _was one to be protected at all costs, because another would not be able to be found readily. She decided to leave it at that and didn’t bother trying to get her beast to change its mind.  
____

Nami came in from above, startling her a bit, and her beast immediately dubbed her as _cub _and _caretaker _. The orange haired woman was still a _cub _to the beast as her reactions were similar to Usopp, but she was also the one that kept the others from aggravating their wounds, or keep them (mostly) out of danger. Nami was currently feeling mischievous, but there was a constant thread of worry for the rest of her crew, especially Luffy.  
______

Robin was next, a fair distance away unlike the others (Nami was different being in the sky), and her beast growled agitatedly but calmed as Danni’s emotions for the woman bled through. Robin became the _elder _and _scout _of the pack, and she agreed with that wholeheartedly. The older woman had been on many pirate crews (though unsavory ones) and being an archeologist, she knew a lot and didn’t mind sharing her knowledge. It was also because of this knowledge that she was considered the _scout _because she tended to know a lot about the islands they hit, providing valuable information for the crew.  
______

Robin was currently entertained greatly by someone’s actions, but Danni could tell that the woman’s thoughts and feelings never strayed too far from their crew. It sent a warm feeling through her at that, because the older woman had been through so much that it was nice to know that she considered them all crew and _family _.  
__

Zoro shoved his way into her senses, his determination shouldering his way to the forefront and threatening to take her over. Her beast let out a loud, rumbling purr and Danni flushed when it dubbed the swordsman as _potential mate _and _beta _. She snarled at it, but it wouldn’t budge and she groaned. Great, she seriously hoped that wouldn’t become a problem, or else she was going to have _issues _. She ignored it for now, determined to only think of the younger man as a _beta _. He was not a _potential mate _, damnit!  
__________

Luffy was the last one and her beast reared, letting out a deep, growling roar, fur fluffing up and ears lying flat on its head. Its lips were pulled back and revealed its wicked fangs, and Danni hit back with her own snarling roar, pushing back at it viciously. _Luffy wasn’t a threat _. She forced her emotions for her captain at the agitated and enraged creature, shoving even harder when it resisted. A whisper in her mind was whimpering over and over again. _Alpha-alpha-alpha-alpha _.  
____

_He is Alpha _, Danni snarled at her beast, finally managing to push her emotions into the reluctant creature, who didn’t want an alpha. The beast let out a low, deep moan, voicing its distress, but allowed for it happen, sheathing and unsheathing its great claws. Slowly, it calmed, Luffy’s emotions washing over them. The determination and _need _for his nakama giving them a sense of calm.  
____

Slowly, Danni blinked gold eyes open, and she was startled when the night sky met her. She frowned and muttered to herself, “I didn’t think _that _much time had passed. I’ll have to work on that.”__

xxx

A slow, rather boring week rolled by where Danni perfected her Haki towards her crew. She was now constantly aware of the emotional state her crewmates were in, and she was now working on becoming even more in synch with her beast. It had been a shock to find her canines longer and sharper after two days of constant aching, but she got over it rather quickly. It wasn’t the weirdest thing she’d seen (Miss Easter came to mind here).  


Danni was flat on her back on the deck of her ship, eyes closed and breathing even and slow. The water sloshed as a larger ship approached her smaller one, a black flag fluttering in the wind. A skull and cross bone was marked in dark red on the sails. Danni was startled out of her meditative state by a hand touching her shoulder and before the person could react, she had him pinned to the deck and one of her revolvers pointed at his forehead.  


Gold eyes glared down at him, teeth bared dangerously and the man let out a whimper, not even trying to struggle. The air around the woman who had seemed to be defenseless and sleeping was feral and pressed down against him. “Who are you and what are you doing on my _ship _?” she snarled, voice a mixture of animal and human.  
__

The pirate only garbled, foaming at the mouth as his eyes rolled back in a dead faint. She scoffed, standing fluidly and picking up the man effortlessly and tossing him off the side of her boat. The splash alerted the man’s crew that something was wrong and they all moved to the railing. Before they could reach it, a shadowed figure (the sun coming from behind them) appeared crouched on the railing, gold eyes glaring at them dangerously.  


The figure’s bloodlust was palpable in the air, tinged with feral intensity, and the pirates felt shivers crawl down their spines. “I seem to be bored,” the figure purred, slowly standing up from her crouch and balancing easily on the beam. “Care to fix that for me?” Danni stared down at the crew of pirates in front of her and felt excitement bubble up inside of her.  


She hadn’t had a real fight since before Saboady and she was itching to try out what she had learned from Gen. One of the men let out a yell and charged at her, drawing a sword in a quick flash. She leapt over the blade and kicked the man’s face with both feet and used it as a springboard to flip over onto the deck. She landed in the middle of the group, crouched low and swept her leg out and around, sending two men to the floor in a tangled mess of arms and legs.  


She stood fluidly, blocking a punch with her forearm and using her other arm to swing her flintlock rifle off her back, gripping the neck and swinging it at the pirate trying to sneak up behind her. The butt of the rifle slammed into the guy’s face and she ducked under the other fist the guy sent her way, swinging her rifle forward and nailing him in the stomach. She kicked his legs out from under him as he doubled over, sending him flipping back and smashing into two other men rushing at her.  


The group flew back and she spun her rifle around her arm and back, gripping it with her other hand as she pulled out her revolver and shot at a man trying to shoot _her _from the upper deck. The bullet hit him in the shoulder, and she shot again, hitting him in the leg next. He fell to the deck with pained cry, falling over the railing and smashing into the lower deck in a crumbled heap. She spun around, leaping over a sweeping kick at the same time, and slammed into the man’s knee, a sickening crack splitting the air.  
__

Arms snaked around her waist, and a voice snarled in her ear, “If you don’t stop beating up my men, I’ll be doing some rather _unsavory _things to that pretty little body of yours, missy.” Danni’s eyes flashed, and she bared her teeth in a furious snarl. She snapped her head back, slamming it into the captain’s nose at the same time she stomped back on his foot. The arms let go of her in shock and she spun around, hair whipping out around her as she brought her knee up and smashed it into the man’s groin. She ignored the pained groaning the man was doing and tightened her grip on her rifle and slammed it into the man’s head, sending him flying across the deck.  
__

At the same time, however, one of the man’s crew was charging at her and she grabbed her other rifle off her back, not being able to use the one heading for the captain. She spun the rifle once and smashed it straight into the man’s side, his ribs cracking under the harsh blow and sending him sprawling to the ground.  


The female pirate licked her lips, fury simmering underneath her skin and sending her blood boiling. She flexed her hands around her rifles, something settling inside of her. Having a rifle in each hand just felt... _right _. Lost in the sudden feeling, she missed the pirate rushing at her and earned herself a fist to the face. Her nose cracked, but went unbroken, and blood gushed forth as her head snapped back. She reacted instinctively, bringing both rifles up and slamming each on either side of the man’s head.  
__

The hit to her face broke her anger, and she panted, licking her lips and tasting the blood that dripped from her nose. She brought her hand up, still clutching her rifle, and brushed under her nose, smearing blood all over her hand. She was coming down from her high, the pain bringing her back down to earth. Her eyes bled back to dark brown and her beast subsided with a low chuffing noise, satisfied with the fight. She stared around at the downed and cowering pirates around her and couldn’t even scrounge up a little sympathy.  


She blinked at them languidly and said blandly, “Maybe next time, you should take care in choosing your targets.”

Better  


It didn’t take her long to find the plant she was supposed to eat. She’d remembered seeing it before in the clearing where she’d killed the tiger, on the edge of the pond. It hadn’t registered as odd, even with its much smaller size than the rest of the plants. It was a thin stalk like plant, with large, broad leaves staggered on either side. It was a dark, dark green, almost black and blended easily at night at the dark pool’s edge.  


Danni crouched down next to the plant, head cocked to the side. She’d rigged herself a place up in the trees and also nestled amongst the roots of one of the trees, sticking to the place where’d she’d slain the tiger. She made it her territory, her belongings hidden in the place among the roots, masking the scent with the leaves and bark of the tree. The boat she’d arrived in was anchored halfway up the beach, and she hadn’t bothered hiding it.  


With gentle fingers she plucked the top leaf and part of the stem off the plant and carried it to her place under the roots. It was furnished with the remains of the tiger skin, its own scent masking hers and she settled down onto it, staring down at the plant in her hands. Her bottom lip trembled and she took a shaky breath before with trembling hands she put it in her mouth and ate it. She swallowed, eyes bleeding gold and the familiar taste of blood saturated her throat and tongue, pervading her senses.  


Her stomach felt full and she slowly stood, making her way out of the roots and heading for the pond for a drink of water. She stumbled as she got closer to the pond, falling to her knees at the edge, body trembling. She stared at her reflection wondering why the image was so blurry and when had it gotten so hot? She made a jerky move for the pond with her hand, scooping up some of the water and drinking it clumsily.  


The cool water slid down her throat and her vision swayed, the world spinning around her as she lost her balance and fell on her side. Her body was wracked with shivers and she curled up into a ball, moaning in pain as her teeth chattered. Her legs twitched and her stomach rolled violently. Danni somehow managed to push herself up again as her stomach heaved and everything she’d eaten earlier came out, splashing to the floor. She stared down at the mess uncomprehendingly, arms shaking under her weight.  


Blood and flecks of a brownish goop were mixed in the vomit and she gagged, her mind going fuzzy. Her stomach rolled again and she heaved, only blood and the brown goop coming up this time and burning her throat. Her body twitched as spasms of pain shot throughout her, making her limbs tremble even harder under her weight. Her thoughts were swirling and jumbled and she felt like she was being burned from the inside out. _How was this supposed to make her better? _  
__

She coughed wetly, blood splashing past her lips, still stained with that brown goop and she felt tears spilling over as she sobbed, fingers digging in the damp earth underneath her. “Lu...ffy...,” she murmured, coughing as more of the brown gunk spilled past her lips, filling her mouth with a disgusting taste. Danni instinctively reached out for Luffy more fully, the rest of her crew blurring and disappearing from her senses. _Luffy! I’m sorry! _  
__

More filth splashed to the ground and she sobbed roughly, her throat clogging up and snot dripping from her nose. Her stomach heaved again and her lungs constricted painfully as blood, gunk, and stomach fluids poured from her mouth. She was startled from her hazy mind when Luffy’s emotions seemed to push themselves at her in a soothing, worried embrace. It swirled inside of her and she knew Luffy was smiling widely and laughing as he said: _Its gonna be alright, ne, Danni? _  
__

Danni smiled tremulously through her tears, the edges of her vision going dark, before she collapsed to the ground, avoiding her mess, and falling unconscious.  


Accuracy  


Danni woke up to sound of a rough chirping like sound and when she opened her eyes a furry face was staring back at her with amber eyes. She stared, confusion evident as she slowly pushed herself up off the ground and stared around at her surroundings. The large fox creature yipped, pushing its muzzle against her side and make a rough rumbling sound. “Ah,” she muttered, nose twitched as the smell of her vomit and blood and whatever gunk she’d coughed up the day before reached her.  


She gagged silently and stood hastily, wobbling slightly but managing to keep herself upright. Her mouth felt like something had curled up and died in it and she wasted no time in going to the pond for water. Once she’d managed to get the worst of it down, she patted the fox on the head gently, indicating she was alright, before heading for her place under the roots. The fox left, disappearing in the brush, and she ducked into her hole, heading straight for her bag.  


She wasn’t surprised about how the animals had been acting around her, not after reading the journals. A side effect of waking up your primal side was that you became more animal than human, and the _real _animals reacted to that. Some would act like she was one of them, while others would see her as a threat and attack. Being on Predator Island, chances are she’d be seen as more of a threat than a friend, so she’d have plenty of creatures to hone her skills against. Not to mention the place was rife with plant life that she’d be able to experiment making powders with.  
__

Danni opened her bag and pulled out the empty journal she’d grabbed from the caves and a pen, before arming herself with her rifles and knives and pulling the tiger head over her own head and heading back out. She wanted to examine the plant life before she started battling with the animals on the island.  


It hadn’t really sunk in yet that she was _alive _.__

xxx

Danni hissed as she pressed the poultice on the gashes on her side. She was kneeling next to the pond in her territory, eyes gold as she tended to the wound she’d gotten from a wolf she’d been fighting. The wolf had raked its claws from the side of her stomach, across her side and down part of her lower back, leaving behind three, bloody gashes that were definitely going to scar, adding to her growing collection. Of course, she’d gotten back at the wolf and it would eventually sport a scar running from its forehead, across its eye and down its muzzle.  


She sighed as she wrapped the wound, holding the wounds closed and keeping the poultice from leaking down her hips and legs. She’d have to get clothes from Kupa before she headed to Saboady and a nice pair of fingerless gloves. She didn’t want her crew to see the nasty scars all over her palms and the back of her hands. Some of the plants on the island were volatile with each other almost to the point of acid, and her hands had paid the price. Thankfully, it hadn’t gone too deep, but it still left its mark and she’d had to train like hell to get back to usual skill level with her guns and knives.  


She wasn’t looking forward to Chopper’s reaction to her lovely scars, though she was interested in what Sanji’s would be. It would definitely prove to me amusing at the least. She snickered at the thought, wincing when it pulled her wound and sighing. It looked like she was going to be making powder and bullet combinations and testing her accuracy with her guns and/or knives for awhile.  


With a grunt she stood carefully and began to head for the beach. She was a bit bummed she didn’t have any alcohol, but she wanted to sleep under the stars that night. The dirt soon gave way to sand and she broke the tree line with a wide smile as the familiar and comforting scent of the ocean hit her nose and filled her senses. She tossed the tiger skin she’d dragged with her down on the sand, tossing her bag down on top of it to keep it from moving before taking her shoes off and heading for the shoreline.  


The pirate stood on the wet sand, inhaling deeply as the icy cold water lapped at her bare feet. She closed her eyes tilting her head back and basking in the dying light of the day. Her nakama’s emotions tickled at the back of her mind, a familiar and comforting presence and she began humming. She stayed there, simply humming as the sun finished setting letting the stars shine and the moon glow, bathing her in its white light.  


_“Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho, _  
__

_Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho, _  
__

_Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho, _  
__

_Yo-hohoho, Yo-hohoho _  
__

_Binkusu no sake o, todoke ni yuku yo _  
__

_Umikaze kimakase namimakase _  
__

_Shio no mukou de, yuuhi mo sawagu _  
__

_Sora nya wa wo kaku, tori no uta—” _  
__

She continued to sing the familiar and nostalgic song, twirling around in the ocean lightly so she didn’t aggravate her wound, and only singing in the softest voice. She only had six months left before she could return to her nakama, and she couldn’t wait. She wanted to see them again. She wanted to sing with them. Laugh with them. Fight and sail away with them.  


She wanted her _family. _  
__

Happy  


Danni grinned widely as Kupa came into sight and she couldn’t stop the giddy feeling from bubbling up inside of her. She was so close to seeing her nakama again! She steered her borrowed boat into the hidden boat house at the end of the dock, and tied it off, before sneaking into the village. She didn’t want to run into anyone she had befriended in Kupa, except Jojo and Covra. She’d said her goodbyes and she didn’t want to do it again.  


After she’d bought herself new clothing she headed over to Covra’s first, checking instinctively for any threats or brats that should be playing with their friends in the forest. She entered the shop through the back, calling out, “Covra-san?”  


“Danni-san?” Covra asked as he came out from a side door, wiping his hands off on a stained rag. He raised an eyebrow at her appearance, taking in the new scars and the new clothes. “It’s good to see yah,” he quirked his lips at her and she smiled back, shrugging her shoulders.  


“It’s good to see you too,” she responded, tugging one of her earrings absently. “Did you get my request done?”  


Covra snorted, “Did I? Do yah even have to ask?” Danni rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, and the blacksmith shook his head in amusement. “Yeah, I got what yah wanted done, let me go grab them.” He disappeared into the side door again, and came out with a foot long, four inch deep box. He held it out to her, opening the lid and revealing the neat lines of silver colored bullets. “Specialized bullets, just as yah asked.”  


Danni ran her fingers over the finely crafted bullets, and smiled, “How much do I owe you?”  


Covra shook his head, “Nothing.” He held his hand up to stall her protests. “I mean it. You’re a friend. It’s a gift for yah,” he said firmly, and Danni backed down, cheeks flushing slightly.  


She smiled at him and took the box from him carefully, “Thank you.” Covra merely quirked his lips in response and she left, heading for Jojo’s bar to get back her vivre card and the letters she’d written and didn’t need any more. Reaching the bar, she entered through the back like she had with the weapon shop, and knocked on the frame to get Jojo’s attention.  


The woman spun at the noise, eyes widening at the sight of the pirate before she smiled so widely it threatened to split her face and she tackled the pirate in a hug. Danni didn’t budge an inch, catching the smaller woman and hugging her back just as tightly. “I came here for those letters and card I gave you,” Danni said, squeezing once before letting go. “Also, I don’t believe you’ll be getting your boat back.”  


Jojo shook her head, hair flying everywhere, and smile still stretched wide. “I wasn’t expecting it back when I let yah use it, Danni. Stay right here, and let me go grab those papers,” the bartender replied before she twirled off in a flurry of dark hair and white cloth. She returned quickly, hands full of nine envelopes and a small card with Rayleigh written on it. “Here yah are, miss pirate!” she said teasingly, handing the papers over.  


Danni took them gratefully, slipping the vivre card in her bag, before asking, holding up the envelopes, “You mind burning these for me?” Jojo took them silently, nodding and setting them on the counter to burn later.  


The small woman hugged the pirate again and said, “Be safe, okay?”  


Danni smiled, hugging her back, “Always. Now, I gotta go. I’ve got my nakama to get to!” Jojo laughed brightly and let go, waving as the pirate left, a purple sash tied around her hips, one that the boys had given to her as a gift. Jojo smiled softly, leaning against the door frame, Danni long out of sight. It had been good to see the younger woman again. She looked much more happy and healthier than when she’d first arrived at Kupa, and she was glad for it. Shaking her head, the bartender went back inside to burn the letters and get back to her customers.  


Danni inhaled deeply smiling widely and holding her hand out, the vivre card on top of it and began sailing in the direction it was pointing. She was going back to her nakama!

Disturbance (Bonus)

Luffy frowned, turning his head to the west and opening his eyes, subsequently dodging the punch aimed for his head. Rayleigh paused, retracting his fist and stared at his pupil in confusion. “Luffy?” the former pirate asked, but the teen didn’t answer, instead brow furrowing deeply as he continued to stare west.  


The young captain scowled, worrying his bottom lip as he suddenly felt a disturbance in Danni. His gunner was in deep pain and utterly distraught. He didn’t like it. Not one bit. Brow furrowing even deeper, he didn’t seem to hear Rayleigh at all, who was trying to get the teen’s attention. Following his instincts, he shoved a soothing calm and worry in the direction he was feeling his nakama, trying to tell her it was going to be okay. She didn’t have anything to worry about.  


He smiled when he felt Danni ease, before his instincts screamed at him and he ducked down and back, missing the kick aimed at him by a bare inch. He stared at Rayleigh with wide eyes, and then ducked into himself and rolled out of the way as he saw the man attack, not even realize he was moving before the silver haired man even attacked.  


Rayleigh grinned, “Looks like you’ve got it, Luffy.”  


The pirate captain stared at him in bewilderment, “Huh?”

Enter

Danni smiled as she entered Shakky’s bar, already knowing she and Rayleigh were already in there, feeling their presences. “Ray-jiji! Shakky!” she called out in greeting, striding over to the two at the bar, the tiger head on her head falling back to hang off her neck. Rayleigh stared at the woman, eyebrows raised and shocked despite himself.  


Shakky smiled back in greeting, already pulling down one of the good quality sakes and pouring the pirate a glass. “Danni-chan! It’s good to see you!” the bartender greeted back, sliding the full glass over to her as she took the stool next to Rayleigh.  


Danni took the drink, knocking it back and sighing blissfully as she put the glass down. “Damn, it’s been a year since I’ve had any alcohol,” she whined, stretching out across the bar and making grabby hands at the bottle.  


Rayleigh snorted, shaking himself out of his shock from the change in the woman. “Well, you look good, brat,” he said, leaning against the bar.  


The pirate shot him a smirk, eyes flashing gold as she shot back, “You’re not my type, you dirty old man.” The former pirate sputtered and Shakky threw her head back and laughed. “So, who’s all arrived so far?” she asked excitedly as Shakky poured her another glass.  


Shakky was the one who answered, “Zoro-chan arrived first, and then Franky-chan arrived second about six days ago. Nami-chan got here third, and since she had some free time went shopping. Fourth was Usopp-chan, he arrived here yesterday. He went out to go find Nami, I believe.”  


Danni’s grin widened even further and the two former pirates wouldn’t deny the shock they had at seeing it. The gunner for the Mugiwara Pirates had seemed so _tired _and solemn when they’d met her those two years ago; in fact they had been positive she’d actually been ill. To see her so healthy looking and smiling brightly was quite the change.  
__

Rayleigh eyed the large tiger head resting on her back and the scars on her face and torso and wondered where she had ended up to receive such visible markings, when she’d been clear skinned the last time he saw her. So far, Zoro had been the only one to show such a new visible scar. He reached out and tapped the two scars on her temple. They were older than the one on her torso and he’d place them at about two years old, but she definitely hadn’t gotten it when she’d been on Saboady. “How’d you get these?” he asked, genuinely curious.  


Danni’s smile disappeared and a dark look appeared on her face, her hand tightening around her cup. “...A souvenir from the tiger on my back. I got them when Luffy lost his brother,” she answered, her eyes bleeding gold and a low rumbling noise issuing forth from her throat. Rayleigh raised an eyebrow at the specific time when she’d gotten them, wondering how she knew that. He didn’t ask though, realizing the scar was a touchy subject for her.  


Danni shook her head, smile back on her face as she downed her glass again, before setting it down on the bar and standing. “Well, I think I’m gonna drop my stuff off on the Sunny and then go explore,” she announced cheerfully, pulling the tiger head back on. “Since, you know. I got kidnapped last time we were here and I felt like shit anyways and then you know we got our asses kicked and sent flying. Literally.”  


She left, humming cheerfully and waving over her shoulder at the two former pirates, who were staring after her in bewilderment. The gunner quickly made her way towards the Sunny, practically on the verge of skipping. She was going to see her nakama again! Her smile threatened to split her face in half when the Sunny came into view and she stopped at the top of the hill, simply taking the ship in. A large figure suddenly moved onto the deck and she couldn’t contain the squeal that left her. “Franky!” she shouted gleefully, leaping from the hill and practically pouncing on the much larger cyborg.  


Franky caught Danni, eyes wide in surprise behind his sunglasses. The smaller woman hugged him as fiercely as she could; inhaling the scent of metal, grease, and gunpowder and imprinting it in her memory, eyes bleeding gold. She pulled back; lips stretched in a wide grin and before the cyborg could react planted a kiss on the corner of his mouth. “It’s great to see you!” she greeted brightly, landing on the deck lightly as he had let go of her in shock.  


Franky sputtered, steam exploding from his ears, “Woah, sister! It’s good to see you too, but what was that?” Danni chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back off her neck and the cyborg finally took note of the fierce golden color the younger woman’s eyes were as opposed to the familiar dark brown. “And what’s with the _super eyes _?”  
__

“Family quirk,” she answered, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. “The eyes that is. The kiss? Greeting between pack. It’s instinctive now, sorry ‘bout that.” She gave him a sheepish smile, eyes bleeding back to the dark brown he was much more familiar with.  


Franky peered at her curiously and questioned, “Pack?”  


“Yup,” she popped the ‘p’, smile returning to its wide grin, showing off her sharp canines. She didn’t elaborate, and before he could ask even further she continued on a completely different topic, “I’m gonna go put my stuff in my room and then I’m gonna go exploring! I can’t wait to see the others!” Without another word she bounced off below deck, leaving behind a bewildered Franky. 

Delight

Danni hummed to herself quietly, peering around at the buildings and people surrounding her. She was enjoying the island since she wasn’t hacking up a lung this time, and there weren’t any threats of being sold as a slave or sent flying to random islands. Her eyes caught a flash of orange, and her feet automatically turned in that direction, a grin beginning to split her face. The scent of tangerines tickled her nose and she inhaled deeply, closing her eyes briefly as she took the scent in.  


She broke through a crowd, entering one of the shopping malls that dotted the islands, and her now gold eyes zeroed in on the curvy orange haired woman, directing a curly haired, tan man on where to put her purchases. Danni’s smile widened and her fingers twitched eagerly as she practically bounced over to the two, calling out in delight, “Nami! Usopp!”  


Nami spun around first just as the other woman reached her, and smiled brightly, squealing, “Danni!” The two hugged each other tightly, Danni actually lifting the smaller girl up off the ground and spinning her around. “It’s so good to see you again! You look so different!”  


Danni set Nami down and leaned down briefly to plant a chaste kiss on the corner of the navigator’s mouth. “It’s good to see you too! You’ve grown even more beautiful! I love your hair!” she exclaimed as she pulled back, eyes bleeding back to dark brown.  


Nami blinked at her stupidly for a second, taken off guard by the kiss. “Th-thanks?” she stuttered in response, sounding more like she was asking than anything.  


Before the navigator could ask what the kiss was all about, Danni turned to Usopp and practically glomped the sharpshooter, planting a kiss on the corner of his mouth as well. “D-Danni!” Usopp squealed in shock, cheeks flaming bright red in embarrassment.  


The gunner pulled back sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck. “Whoops,” she started, laughing slightly. “Sorry, it’s an instinctive reaction.”  


Nami and Usopp stared at her, and Nami pointed out slowly, “You didn’t have this reaction before...Did you?”  


“Nope,” Danni answered, popping her ‘p’, and still smiling even as her eye turned gold and she inhaled silently, taking in Usopp’s scent. It was wood and various plants like smells.  


The sharpshooter let out a shriek when he noticed her eyes, pointing wildly and stammering, “Y-your eyes definitely didn’t d-do t- _that _before!” Nami gaped at her crewmate, and the gunner winced, smile shrinking slightly. She willed her eyes to go back to their usual color, her beast subsiding with an irritated growl. Usopp noticed the wince and shrinking smile and added hastily, “N-not that it’s a bad thing! They look really monster-ish!”  
__

Nami elbowed the sharpshooter in the side, glaring and ceasing her gaping as she hissed, “ _Usopp _!” She then turned to Danni and asked, “How’d that happen, anyways?” The three hopped onto the ride Nami had, and Usopp began driving back in the direction of the bar.  
__

“Hmm, it’s a family quirk,” Danni answered, relaxing slightly when she realized Usopp wasn’t terrified of her (which was stupid in the first place).  


Usopp furrowed his brow and asked in confusion, “Your dad can do that too?” He just couldn’t picture it. Nami frowned, thinking back to all the articles she’d read about Benn Beckman. None of them ever mentioned the pirate having that type of quirk, and it would’ve been mentioned if he did.  


Danni shook her head, “It’s not from my dad. It’s from my mom. Only certain members of the family ever get the ability, though.” Nami had a feeling there was more to it than just that, but she didn’t pry. She didn’t think the gunner would react well to any of them prodding her family history, even _Luffy _.  
__

“So, does the eye thing have anything to do with the kissing?” Nami asked curiously and Usopp’s cheeks flamed at the reminder.  


Danni grinned and held her finger up to her mouth, “Se-cret!”  


Nami huffed, pouting slightly and Usopp snorted, hiding a smile under his hat. The sharpshooter stopped the ride, however, when he noticed a certain reindeer running in their direction. He grinned and held an arm up in a wave and called out, “Hey, Chopper!”  


The reindeer pulled to an abrupt stop, looking confused for a second before he recognized the trio and made an excited noise. Usopp rushed over to the doctor, holding his arms out and grinning widely, “Woah! You sure have gotten bigger! I bet you’re even easier to ride now, huh? How’ve you been??”  


Chopper didn’t get any time to answer the sharpshooter as he suddenly got a whiff of _predator-predator-run-run-run _\--and then Danni’s voice rang through his ears, “Chopper! You’ve gotten even cuter since I’ve seen you last!” He shook the animal instinct away, focusing on his crewmate and started slightly when he realized the scent was coming from _her _.  
____

“Danni?” he questioned, voice a bit small and wary.  


The gunner pulled back from her hug, eyes and smile soft. “Don’t worry,” she murmured lowly, so the other two didn’t hear. “You’re pack.” She let her eyes flash gold and she made a soothing, purr like noise, rubbing her cheek against his. Then, she pulled away and her eyes were back to their warm dark brown, and Nami was hugging him.  


“It’s true! You’re fluffier than before!” she squealed happily, and Chopper shook himself out of his confusion over to Danni. Nami pulled away, smiling, “Long time no see, Chopper!”  


However, that confusion was replaced by confusion over Nami, “Huh? Nami?”  


“Well, yeah?” the navigator responded, sounding amused.  


Chopper shook himself again, his earlier panic returning as he exclaimed, “No...that’s right! I’m happy to see you again, but this isn’t the time for that! Robin’s in big trouble!!”  


Danni chuckled and easily waved off Chopper’s anger at the response, “Don’t worry, Chopper. Nami will explain. In the mean time, I’m going to continue my exploring, so you guys head back to the ship, alright?” She smiled, patting the doctor between the eyes soothingly. “I’ll meet up with you guys later.” With one last wave, she easily vanished into the crowd, leaving Nami and Usopp behind to explain to Chopper about the imposters.

Hand

Danni’s ears perked up when a familiar voice said slowly, as if talking to a child, “Uhm, Marines...come. We...run...ship. Got it?” She immediately veered her path towards the voice, nose twitching and eyes shadowed under the tiger head perched on her head. She’d taken to wearing it around the island on the off chance someone would actually recognize her. It also kept most idiots away from her.  


“What am I, a baby? Use sentences!” another all too familiar voice shouted in response, irritation evident. Her beast chuffed, letting out a low rumbling noise to voice its pleasure. She’d found more members of her pack.  


Sanji responded blandly with, “I figured that was good enough for an idiot whose brain is nothing but muscle.” Danni drew closer to her two fellow crewmates and a grin was slowly stretching across her face as her eyes bled gold, freaking out a few of the people on the streets who noticed. She inhaled deeply, filtering out all the other scents and focusing on her two pack mates. Sanji smelled of cloves and cooking oil, and her body thrummed at the comforting scent of the cloves. Zoro on the other hand smelled of steel and alcohol, which appealed to her almost just as much.  


“Alright, I’ll kill you later,” Zoro growled, before he jabbed his thumb to the right and continued, “But does that island seem kinda noisy to you?”  


“Yeah...noisy...there,” Sanji said slowly, expression flat. Zoro’s hand twitched, pushing one of his swords out of its sheath slightly in preparation for a quick draw.  


But he didn’t get to as Danni finally reached them, putting herself between them and chirping cheerfully, “Sounds like fun, wanna bet our captain’s involved?” She linked her arms with the two men, eyes still gold, and pecked each of them on the corner of the mouth, and added, “Let’s go see what trouble our captain’s brewing, yeah?”  


Zoro sputtered, “What the hell was that for!?” Sanji was silent, jaw dropped and eyes wide, looking to be in complete shock as he stared at her uncomprehendingly.  


Danni’s eyes glittered with laughter as she responded cheerfully, “Greeting between pack! Now let’s go! I wanna see captain!” She tugged on the two men’s arms, urging them forward just as an explosion rocked the area. “Ooh, that sounds promising!”  


Zoro spluttered as he stumbled forward, wondering when the hell the woman had gotten so physically strong! Sanji stumbled, jaw closing with a sharp click but looking like he was about to faint instead. Another explosion sounded, and Danni rolled her eyes before whining, “Let’s go, already!” That got them running and Danni’s grin widened. She was gonna see Luffy!  


They reached the source of all the commotion, just in time to see Luffy laughing and smiling widely as he ran away from the smoking husk of one of the Pacifista’s. “Hey, Luffy!” Zoro called out, running on his own now, Danni have unlinked their arms for easier maneuverability.  


“Luffy! I knew it! Why are you always smack dab in the middle of trouble?” Sanji yelled, trying to sound annoyed but it mostly came off as fond exasperation. Danni didn’t say anything her emotions close to overwhelming her as she laid eyes on her captain. Happiness threatened to bubble over and she could barely contain her excitement.  


“Oh!!” Luffy exclaimed, grin widening even further. “Zoro! Sanji! Wah!! This time I’m sure it’s you! Long time, no see!” Danni couldn’t stop herself from squealing, even as a Pacifista appeared in front of them, leaping over the thing easily just as Sanji slammed his leg in its neck and Zoro sliced it in two.  


The tiger head flew off her head as she fell through the air, straight at Luffy. Her lips were stretched in a wide grin, canines glinting in the light as she shouted gleefully, “LUFFY!!” She crashed into her captain, the Pacifista exploding behind her, and in front of marines and pirates alike, kissed him on the corner of the mouth, though from their point of view it looked like she was kissing him soundly on the mouth fully.  


Luffy laughed, taking the kiss in stride and exclaiming happily, “Danni!”  


“IT’S THE STRAW HAT PIRATES!!! THE REAL ONES! THEY’RE TOTALLY DIFFERENT! THEY’RE NOTHING LIKE THE FAKES!!”  


Zoro and Sanji joined their gunner and captain and Zoro greeted the rubber man with, “Hey, Luffy, you’re number nine.”  


Sanji snarled and snapped, “Shut up! How long are you gonna keep bragging about that?” He then turned to Luffy and said calmly, “Luffy, we’ve gotta hurry. The ship’s waiting.”  


Luffy’s grin widened even further, not minding Danni a bit, who was hanging off him despite being taller and bigger than him. “Right!” he cheered. “Man, I’m so happy to see you! It’s been two years!” Danni purred, rubbing her cheek against the top of Luffy’s head, and basking in his happy and excited emotions.  


“Pirate Hunter Zoro! Black Leg Sanji! And Dark Breaker Danni! The whole crew’s on this island! THEY’RE ALL ALIVE!!!”  


Luffy smelled like rubber and the sea and her beast rumbled in pleasure as she imprinted the scent in her mind. Sanji and Zoro started running back in the direction of the ship, but paused when they noticed that Danni and Luffy weren’t following. Danni had let go of her captain and was grinning widely in the same direction as Luffy. “Hey, what’s the matter?” Zoro called back.  


Luffy ignored him and called out, “Rayleigh!!” Shocked cries and mutters exploded as they noticed Rayleigh for the first time.  


The former pirate laughed and called back, “I thought I’d better check in on you...but it looks like it wasn’t necessary. Your skills have become even more polished.” Luffy nodded and agreed, mouth still stretched in that all too impossibly wide grin. “Well, then you’d better hurry and join your friends.”  


Luffy let his bag fall to the ground behind him as he shouted at his teacher, “Yeah! Rayleigh, thanks for all you did these past two years!”  


“There’s no need for that,” Rayleigh laughed. “Just hurry up and go.”  


Luffy raised his fist in the air, emotions firming in a strong resolution and promise as he called, “Rayleigh, I’m gonna do it!” He raised both arms in the air and shouted, laughing gleefully, “I’M GOING TO BE THE PIRATE KING!!”

Human

“Are we setting sail, Nami?” Luffy asked, arms crossed and face serious.  


Nami nodded, “Yes. Go right ahead, captain.” Danni perked up, turning her attention to her captain from where’d she had been staring at Brook, her beast rumbling. She had to fight the urge to just start gnawing on the skeleton’s arm or leg or something.  


“Alright, guys!” Luffy started, voice echoing around the ship. “There’s tons of stuff I’ve wanted to say to you, but for now I’ll just say thank you for putting up with my selfishness these past two years!!”  


Sanji snorted, “Just these past two years?”  


Usopp laughed and added, “Seriously! You’ve always been selfish!”  


Danni huffed out a short laugh, lips tugged in a wide smile. Her beast was purring contently, surrounded by pack and everyone safe and happy. Luffy inhaled deeply as the ship sank deeper and deeper beneath the waves and shouted, “HERE WE GO! FISHMAN ISLAND, HERE WE COME!!” The ship was submerged completely and Danni tackled Robin, now that they were safe and away from the potential battle.  


“Robin!” she sung cheerily, rubbing their cheeks together briefly and then planting a kiss on the corner of the archaeologist's mouth.  


Robin smiled, chuckling and kissing the gunner on the corner of her mouth in return. “Danni,” she said warmly, ignoring the staring of the rest of the crew easily. “How have you been?”  


Danni’s grin widened, showing off her canines and answered brightly, “Never been better! I’ve got some things for you, by the way! I know you’ll just love them!”  


“Oh?” Robin asked interestedly. “What is it?”  


Before Danni could respond, Zoro interrupted with, “Seriously, what’s with the kissing?” Luffy laughed, putting his hands behind his head, while Usopp, Nami, Franky and Sanji nodded in agreement (though Sanji’s face was red and looked faintly pained at agreeing with the swordsman). Brook simply stared, confused.  


Chopper was the one who answered, surprisingly, “It’s an animal instinct. It’s mostly found among wolves. It’s how they greet each other between pack members.” The reindeer cocked his head to the side and said tentatively, “Danni’s more... _animal _than human now?”  
__

Danni didn’t get to answer as Usopp blinked in confusion and pointed out, “But she doesn’t look more animal than human.”  


The gunner rolled her eyes and then flashed her fangs at him and let her eyes bleed gold, making a purr like sound that a human throat _wouldn’t _have been able to make. Usopp let out a squeal, jumping back in shock, whereas Luffy did the complete opposite and leaned forward with sparkling eyes and exclaiming, “So cool! You’ve got monster eyes!!” Danni’s pupils constricted into slits, her lips twisting into a grimace.  
__

“Please don’t call them that,” she grimaced, unpleasant memories rising to the surface.  


Luffy stared at her with wide, curious eyes, and looked like he was going to ask why, but Brook suddenly laughed and asked, “Do I get a greeting as well, Miss Danni?”  


Danni stared at him silently for a minute, before shaking her head and saying, “No. _Chew toys _don’t get greetings.” There was silence and then the rest of the crew burst into laughter, while Brook sunk down to the deck and began growing mushrooms as he drew circles with his finger on the deck.  
__

Attempt ****

Danni paused, cocking her head to the side just as Usopp called out frantically, “Hey, everyone!! There’s a shadow that looks like a ship coming from behind!!” The gunner stood, excitement thrumming through her body, and a wicked smile spread across her face.  


“A ship?” Brook called out.  


Usopp nodded, beginning to head back down the stairs, “Its shooting straight toward us!” There was a shout of ‘Charge!’ and the roar of a large beast, before the oncoming ship slammed into the side of Sunny. Danni’s eyes bled gold, and she scowled in anger. How dare they! The shouts of the rest of the crew went in through one ear and out the other.  


“...Hey. Wait a minute!” Nami shouted, eyes wide. “Mohmoo??” The sea cow stopped, puzzled and looked down at the small woman. “You’re Mohmoo from Arlong’s crew, aren’t you?” It stared at the navigator, its eyes widening before its eyes shot towards Sanji and Luffy.  


“Hm? I think we’ve seen this guy before, eh, Luffy?” the cook asked.  


Luffy stared up at the cow and asked, “...Really?”  


Mohmoo promptly freaked, but Danni wasn’t paying attention to him, she was staring at the man that had just stepped onto their ship, a wicked grin on his face as he shouted, “Follow me, yah bastards!” There was an answering roar from his crew and Chopper shrieked, whereas Zoro was preparing to draw his swords. “Now, while they’re dumbfounded, kill every last one of ‘em!!”  


Danni continued to stare as Mohmoo shot off with a strangled cry of fear, dragging the opposing ship behind him. The rest of the crew joined Danni in staring at the pirate on their ship as the man shouted, “Now, for our introduction! Let the Gatling gun rip!! Slaughter all “Straw-hats”--”  


There was dead silence as he realized his crew had not followed him and he was standing alone in front of a notorious crew. “It was a nice attempt,” Danni pointed out, a mocking smile on her lips as her gold eyes bored into him. Franky picked the pirate up, who immediately started pleading, “STOP! Whatever you do, don’t throw me in the ocean! Please, anything but that, gentleman!! That’s the one thing you’re not allowed to do! Human life isn’t supposed to be wasted like this!! God! God’s watching, you hear!? You know he is, right?” Danni took note of the fact that he didn’t want to be thrown into the ocean, rather not be stabbed, or shot at, or something else.  


Franky threw him against the railing, rolling his eyes, “Man, are you singing a different tune now! What was all that about Gatling guns and killing everybody?” Danni crouched down next to the pirate, cocking her head to the side and sniffing curiously.  


Zoro stared down at him boredly and asked, “Who the hell are you, anyways? You’re the captain of that ship that went by, right?”  


Danni wrinkled her nose as the man’s blood soaked stench filled her senses and she hissed, lips pulled back and baring fangs. “You smell disgusting,” she growled lowly, eyes glowing faintly as her pupils constricted into slits.  


“Nonononono! Not in my wildest dreams would I ever be captain!” he cried out in response to Zoro, obviously freaking out about the famous pirate hunter. He was also glancing over at Danni fearfully as well, obviously scared out of his wits by her eyes and fangs. “I’m, uh...They’ve been abusing me as a human bullet!” He bowed down low to the floor, continuing with his lie, “I’m so sick of being on that ship I tell yah! Yeah, this is perfect! Would you mind if I rode on your ship for a bit? Please, I’m begging you!”  


Chopper looked at him in concern, “Eh...hey, this guy might actually be a bit of a victim...” Danni growled low in her throat, and Chopper squeaked.  


“Like hell he is!” Usopp shouted. “Everything he’s saying is a lie!” Chopper squealed, staring at the sharpshooter in shock.  


Nami came into the “conversation” asking, “Hey, wait. What was with that sea cow pulling your ship?” The navigator stared down at the pirate with a faint grimace.  


He licked his lips with his abnormally long tongue, eyes glowing with lust, “Oh my...what a cutie. You’re...the _Cat Burglar _, aren’t you?”  
__

Sanji’s foot smashed into the prisoner’s face at the same time as Danni slammed the butt of her black rifle in his stomach, a nasty snarl marring her face. “How dare you look at our beautiful navigator with such despicable eyes?” Sanji roared furiously.  


Danni glared down at the downed pirate, eyes glowing menacingly as she hissed, “Never look at _any _of my crew like that or I will gouge out your eyes, do you understand me?”  
__

Caribou whimpered, nodding slightly and blood gushing from his nose and mouth and a few of his teeth were missing. He shakily lifted himself up slightly and began to answer Nami’s question, “...That’s just a sea monster we caught in the vicinity. Having a creature like that pulling their ship is called advanced sea navigation!”  


Nami perked up slightly, and Luffy butted into the conversation, bright smile on his face as he placed a calming hand on the small of Danni’s back, “Ehh? Really?” He looked around curiously, grin stretched wide and asked, “Is there a sea cow anywhere around here?”  


Nami sweat dropped, “...Hold on. Luffy, what are you planning?” Her captain ignored her completely, having procured a stick from somewhere and was currently poking their prisoner with it. Danni was crouched next to him, cheek on her hand and watching with vague interest, eyes once more dark brown. The gunner listened with half an ear as Nami explained the currents and salinity of their course, and the subsequent fact that they would be taking a current downward.  


She closed her eyes, immersing herself in her crew’s emotions, enjoying the hilarity and joy that was so familiar and so much missed. “Nami, while you were talking it came into view,” Robin called out, catching the entire crew’s attention.  


“Really?”  


“Ooh! Where? Where are the mysterious sea currents?” Luffy called out excitedly, climbing up onto the top of Sunny’s head. “What does a sea current that goes downward look like?” Danni crawled up beside her captain, curious as well. Franky and Chopper came up behind them and Usopp was on the other side of Danni. “Ohh, is that it? Wooow!!”  


“Mother Nature really knows how to get things done!!” Franky crowed, and Chopper and Sanji gaped at the sight before them.  


Nami let out a breathless laugh, “--That’s a _Downward Plume _! It’s just like a giant, undersea waterfall!!” Danni stared in awe, leaning forward against Sunny’s head and taking in the sight of the fast paced water current.  
__

Robin chuckled next to her, “Wow. What a massive flow...I wonder how many hundreds of meter it is in diameter...?”  


“This is AWESOME!!” Luffy shouted gleefully, mouth stretched in an impossibly wide grin.  


“Hearing it is one thing, but seeing it is something completely different! Yohohoho!” Brook laughed cheerily.  


Usopp gaped, eyes nearly popping out of their sockets as he stared down at the bottom of the waterfall, screeching, “I can’t see the bottom! It’s pitch black darkness down there! This is the end! With that speed, it’ll just smash us into the bottom of the ocean!!”  


Danni smiled and chirped, “At least we’ll all die together, ne?” Usopp let out a low whine, tears streaming down his face and pulling his hood down over his eyes.  


Nami bit her lip and said worriedly, “Is it really safe to ride a current like this?”  


“Don’t worry about the ship! The Sunny is the strongest vessel there is, born from Adam Wood!” Franky laughed loudly, pride evident in his voice and stance.  


Caribou’s voice suddenly sounded, shouting, “Hey!! _Straw Hats _!! Turn back immediately! This is bad!” Danni narrowed her eyes, dragging them away from the waterfall and piercing straight into the bound pirate.  
__

“What the...,” Zoro muttered, turning his head slightly to stare down at the pirate. “Oh yeah. I forgot you were here...”  


“Look closely at the bottom!!” Caribou shouted, ignoring Zoro. “I’ve never heard of one of those living in a place like this...!! _Never knowing satisfaction where killing is concerned...it is a demon, running about the great deep and preying on ships! The enemy of the human race _!” Everyone leaned over the side of the ship, peering down into the darkness.  
__

“That’s a...A KRAKEN!!”  


Danni stared down at the beast, mouth dropping open in awe. “It can crush multiple ships in a single blow!! It must have been here feeding off ships that set sail the past few days!!” Franky shouted, eyes bulging.  


“What size!” Usopp shrieked from next to Chopper, who was close to foaming at the mouth. “It’s a monster octopus!!”  


Danni ignored Caribou’s shouting, staring down at the Kraken with sparkling eyes, and Luffy announced with a cheerful smile, “--I got a good idea! I’m gonna tame the little guy!!”  


Before anyone could really register the insane statement, Danni squealed, “It’s so adorable! Luffy, we’ve gotta have it!!”

Gloves

Danni frowned, rubbing her hands through her gloves, but it did nothing to relieve the stiffness. Sighing, she pulled her gloves off and stuffed them in her back pocket, staring down at her scars with distaste. She slowly massaged her hands with her fingers, but since both hands were slightly stiff it wasn’t doing as much as she wished. The coldness of the deep sea was irritating the scars, and thus the stiffness.  


She glanced over at her nakama, frowning as she was reminded that three of them were missing. She wasn’t _too _worried about them, since Luffy wasn’t feeling as if he was in danger. In fact he was having the time of his life according to the giddy emotions she was getting from the rubber man. But she didn’t like not having them close to her, or not knowing _where _they were. Her beast growled in agreement, pacing inside her mind, and she fought back the urge to do the same.  
____

“It’s certainly gotten weaker...while this darkness looks to be stirring up even more unrest,” Brook noted worriedly.  


Usopp groaned, face pale, as he panicked, “We’re really gonna make no progress at this rate! What should we do?”  


Nami frowned tightly, breath misting out in front of her as she answered sternly, “We can’t stop the ship. So don’t overlook a single thing!” Danni continued to rub her hands, focusing on them for a moment. She jerked slightly when the ship lurched and the air on the ship lessened a bit. She frowned, looking up to see what had caused Franky to pull a Coup de Burst. The gunner blinked mildly as she was greeted with the sight of a huge ass fish chomping down on a no doubt poisonous jellyfish just as large.  


Brook was the one to make note of the less amount of air, “Ahh...! The air within the ship really has lessened a bit! It’s better than getting eaten!”  


Chopper was leaning against the railing, jaw dropped, as he exclaimed, “The jellyfish was eaten! But the fish that ate it flopped over!!”  


“So they possessed nerve poisons, after all,” Robin noted. Danni pulled up next to the archaeologist, eyeing the jellyfish curiously, still rubbing her hands. Robin caught the motion of the gunner’s hands, and frowned minutely at the sight of the gruesome scars covering the other woman’s hands. She reached out and began to massage the hands, making Danni jerk and look up at her with wide eyes. “What caused these scars?”  


Danni hummed, relaxing as the stiffness of her hands slowly disappeared under the devil fruit user’s hands, and answered, “Volatile plants. They didn’t react well together.”  


Robin made a small noise in response, two more arms appearing so that she could have two hands each massaging one of Danni’s hands. “How much are they bothering you?” Robin inquired softly, listening to their crewmates with half an ear as they talked about the sea creature’s eyes.  


Danni shrugged loosely, a rumbling purr escaping her throat. “They’re just stiff because of the cold,” she rumbled, eyes going half-mast in pleasure. Robin was certainly skilled with her hands.  


“There are also creatures whose eyes have evolved,” Robin pointed out a little late, as one of the fish reacted to Usopp’s taunts by lunging at him. Danni snickered, and Robin’s massaging slowed down a bit as she felt the muscles begin to loosen and relax beneath her fingers.  


“Everyone?” Brook called out, catching everyone’s attention. The skeleton was holding out a loop of rope and he continued once he had everyone’s attention, “That pirate gentleman...do you know where he is right now?”  


“Ah,” Usopp said. “Now that you mention it, we did have him aboard! I completely forgot...” Danni blinked languidly, eyes flashing gold and inhaling deeply as Robin’s hands slowed to a stop completely.  


Chopper looked around worriedly and asked, “Where’d he go?”  


“I haven’t seen him since we’ve arrived in deep sea,” Robin mentioned idly, her extra arms vanishing as she pulled away from Danni, the gunner pulling her gloves back on before Chopper could catch sight of her scarred hands. She was sniffing the air slightly, wrinkling when she caught the wayward pirate’s stench.  


“Maybe he was thrown off when we entered the _Downward Current _?” Usopp suggested.  
__

Danni shook her head and pointed out, “No, the ropes would’ve gone with him. I think he escaped. And I’m pretty sure he’s eaten a devil fruit.” She blinked at them idly when they all stared at her and then Nami reacted.  


“Then that means he’s somewhere on the ship? Ewww,” the navigator grimaced.  


Robin looked at Danni and asked curiously, “How do you figure he’s eaten a devil fruit?”  


Danni shrugged, yawning slightly, canines glinting in the low light as she answered, “His response when Franky captured him. He begged not to be thrown into the ocean, rather than being killed in another way. Most people wouldn’t make the assumption of being thrown into the ocean as being the first way to be killed when captured.”  


She was quickly proven right when Franky found him liquidized in a barrel.  


The next few moments were a mess of dodging creatures in sweltering heat and being tricked by a sea devil, which was just barely avoided and then saved by a giant person. Then music started playing. Danni wrinkled her nose at the choice in music muttering, “I enjoy Brook’s choice in music much better.”  


Slowly through the smoke a large, worn ship with ripped sails and barnacle infested wood appeared. “Oh my,” Danni said, holding a hand to her cheek. “Not again.” Brook explained the story behind the _Flying Dutchman _, and Danni wrinkled her nose. What a terrible man. Her eyes burned gold when the order for the Umibouzu to smash their ship and a growl ripped through her throat.  
__

Before the large fist could smash into their ship, the Kraken appeared, slamming a curled tentacle into the Umibouzu’s face in a wicked punch. The Kraken continued to punch the giant man and then Luffy’s voice rang clear, “Hey! That’s enough! Stop it!” The octopus monster stopped, peering back eagerly and Luffy praised, “Good boy!”  


The moment Luffy was back on the ship, Danni tackled the captain in a hug, squealing, “You do love me! He’s so _adorable _!”  
__

Luffy laughed loudly, wrapping his arms around the gunner easily in a return hug. Nami sighed, sweat dropping and muttering, “I can’t believe this...you actually tamed the monster octopus...”  


Luffy turned to her with a bright smile, seeming oblivious to the fact that Danni was rubbing her cheek on the top of his head and smiling blissfully. “Yeah! I’m gonna make him a top notch navigator!” Luffy exclaimed, before turning to the octopus and saying, “Right, Surume?”  


“DON’T NAME HIM LIKE HE’S A SQUID!”  


Danni blinked her eyes open, head popping up and saying in response to the exasperated shout, “Why not? I think it’s cute.” The rest of the crew face palmed, while Luffy laughed gleefully, clutching his stomach. 

Fortunate

Danni was immediately hugging Luffy when the boy jerked away, coughing up water, while the other three boys cheered. The gunner planted a kiss on the corner of Luffy’s mouth in greeting, rubbing her cheek against his and making a rumbling noise deep in her chest. Luffy returned the greeting with a confused grin as he looked around in bewilderment. “Ahh! Luffy-chin!”  


Luffy turned in the direction of the voice, blinking, “Hmm?”  


Keimi smiled as she greeted brightly, “I’m so glad you’re alright! How do you feel?”  


A wide smile split Luffy’s face and he cheered excitedly, “Ahh! It’s Keimi! Long time no see!” Danni stretched across her captain’s lap, eyes glowing gold, and pupils blown wide. She continued to make that rumbling noise, nuzzling the rubber boy’s leg with her face, eyes half-mast. Luffy peered down at her curiously.  


“Sorry, I meant to go pick you all up, but I ended up being a month off in how I remembered the date...,” Keimi said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head and sweat dropping.  


Luffy pulled himself away from staring Danni to ask excitedly, “Did we make it to _Fishman Island _?”  
__

Chopper threw his arms up exuberantly as he answered brightly, “Yeah! Fortunately, the mermaids saved us when we were drowning!”  


Usopp chuckled deeply, holding his chin as he said, “To tell the truth, all three of us were all unconscious until just now.”  


“Eh? You three? What about Danni?” Luffy asked curiously, looking down at the purring woman still sprawled across his lap, face pressed against his side.  


The three shared a look and Usopp answered slowly, “She was awake before us, but she hasn’t said a word. Only greeted us, before moving to your side. Her eyes have been gold the entire time though.” The sharpshooter shrugged, and then Chopper added.  


“The best I can make is that when we were all drowning, Danni’s beast took over, and Danni hasn’t woken up herself yet,” the doctor explained.  


“Ehhh?” Luffy said, most of it going straight over his head. He peered down at his gunner and poked her cheek repeatedly calling out, “Dannii! Wake upp! We’re at Fishman Island! Come on!” Gold eyes stared up at him unblinkingly, before slowly they faded to dark brown and Danni was staring up at her captain in confusion.  


She sat up, staring around at her surroundings in bewilderment, “Huh?”  


“This is Keimi’s house,” Sanji explained as he tossed Luffy’s straw hat onto the boy’s head. “Here’s your hat.”  


Danni hummed, waving at said mermaid in greeting with a smile. She stretched languidly across the bed and asked with a pleased groan as her back popped, “Where’s everyone else?”  


“--Well, it looks like we got split up...,” Chopper answered worriedly. “I hope everyone’s alright!”  


Luffy grinned easily, “Oh. I’m sure they’ll manage somehow on their end, though.”  


Sanji nodded in agreement and added, “ _Bones _won’t be of any use in the sea, but they’ve got _Robo _and _Green _, so they’ll be alright. I chased after their silhouettes up until a certain point, but in the end we five got washed up here.” Keimi brought over the soup she’d prepared, and after they’d all eaten and changed into their newly dried clothes Keimi began to explain just where exactly they were.  
______

“This is the part of the sea floor known as the _Mermaid Cove _,” she started excitedly, pointing around. “This is the female dorm for the town’s _Mermaid Cafe _, so a lot of my friends are here.”  
____

Sanji jerked and stammered, eyes wide, “F-Female dorm? M-Mermaid Cafe? What is that?”  


Keimi smiled innocently and answered, “It’s the shop where I’m currently working as a waitress. There are a lot of beautiful mermaids here!” Sanji looked about ready to faint, and Danni watched him in amusement as he forced himself to stay conscious. “Let’s go up top! I’ll introduce you to my friends!”  


Danni snickered and stretched again, raising her arms up above her head as she drawled, “This should be fun.”

Haunting

“Ladies,” Danni smiled, propping herself up on one of the many rocks lining the cove and treading water contentedly. The mermaids giggled, smiling in return, while one of them actually began to unbraid the pirate’s hair so she could play with the long tresses. “Could you all do me a favor?”  


A mermaid with red hair and a striped tail leaned forward curiously, cupping her chin with her hands, “Hmm? A favor, Danni-chan?”  


The pirate hummed in answer and continued, seeing she had the group of girl’s attention, “Yeah, we had a prisoner on our ship, but because of our entrance, I don’t know where he is.”  


“A prisoner?” one of the mermaid’s parroted, green eyes wide.  


Danni nodded, “Yeah, he tried to attack us on the way down. He has a devil fruit, though, so he’s locked in a barrel. Just if you guys see the barrel, please don’t try and open it.” She frowned slightly, brow furrowed and added, “I don’t want any of you getting hurt because of something we brought.”  


Two of the mermaids squealed and glomped the pirate exclaiming, “Danni-chan, you’re the best! And you look so cool!” The two let out another couple of squeals before they joined in on playing with the woman’s hair, chattering excitedly. A sudden commotion brought them out of their playing and Danni cocked her head to the side and sunk down a bit further in the water.  


Her hair was floating through the water, the dark tresses looking a bit like someone had spilled ink in the water, creating a rather haunting picture as her eyes glowed gold just above the water’s surface. The three mermaids that had been playing with her hair surrounded her, their tails coiling around her slightly and hiding the fact that she did not in fact have a fish tail, though she looked like a mermaid herself.  


Danni’s eyes flickered around the cove, pinpointing her crew mates through their feelings rather than sight, before she heard Keimi exclaim, “Huh? A royal gondola?”  


“--There’s no way an actual member of the royal family would be on there, though. Why would they come all the way from Ryuuguu Palace to a tiny little corner on the island like this...?” one of the mermaid’s commented, painted lips smiling a bit sardonically.  


As if to prove her wrong, trumpets sounded loudly and a voice announced the presence of the princes. “Hello, ladies of the cove...I have a question for you,” a deep voice rumbled, but Danni couldn’t see who spoke and her mind was sidetracked by the different emotions she was getting from her crew mates. Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper felt confused and a bit nervous (more so in the case of Usopp and Chopper), but Sanji...  


She sweatdropped and sighed inaudibly, “You idiot.”  


She listened with half an ear as the princes asked after a group of illegal entries, to which the mermaids all lied and said no. Danni had to wonder why they wanted to know though, wouldn’t it be up to the guards to deal with illegal entries? Her thoughts were brought to a sharp stop, as was everyone else, as blood suddenly gushed and the mermaid that had been hiding Sanji let out a shrill scream.  


The next few minutes were a bit of a blur for Danni. She stayed hidden, even as the other three all rushed out to Sanji’s side. Normally, she would’ve been the first to the cook’s side, but something was telling her to stay out of sight. So, with great trepidation, she stayed where she was treading water and glaring angrily the entire time. The anger was enough to distract her from the worry coiling in her gut about the amount of blood loss the cook had, but not by much.  


Somehow, she managed to catch Luffy’s eye before they left on the stolen creature, indicating she was staying, which he nodded subtly at before they were gone. 

Threatened

“This is really a problem, you all...,” one of the Prince’s sighed, making Danni furrow her brow in confusion. “Why were you covering for those pirates?”  


“We’re sorry, Prince Fukaboshi,” the mermaids chorused.  


A curly haired mermaid smiled serenely and said, “They said they were Keimi’s friends.”  


“And they weren’t bad people,” another mermaid added. “We felt it would be too sad for them to be arrested for illegal entry.” Danni cocked her head to the side at the varying emotions around her, too much of them to focus on any one exactly.  


“--You were jumping to conclusions,” Fukaboshi interrupted before anymore of the girls could start talking. “They’re already famous pirates. So regardless of whether they entered this country illegally or not...we more or less know who they are.”  


Then why had they been looking for them? Danni wondered, shifting through the water until she was near one of the rocks, and thus could pull herself out of the water if need be, but still be able to dive under water.  


“Oh, really?” one of the mermaids that had been playing with Danni’s hair earlier exclaimed, feeling a bit guilty for jumping to conclusions.  


“Now, we lost our chance to give them Jinbei’s message...,” Fukaboshi murmured lowly, but Danni’s ears caught the murmur and she immediately pulled herself up onto the rock, hair spilling out around her like waterfall of black ink. The movement brought everyone’s attention to her, but she paid them no mind, focusing on the Princes instead.  


“Perhaps you haven’t lost your chance, hmm?” she said, lips quirked in a slightly mischievous smile. “A message from Jinbei, was it?”  


She began to braid her hair with deft fingers, peering at the startled faces of the Princes with amusement flicking in her eyes. “And you are?” Fukaboshi finally asked.  


Danni hummed, cocking her head to the side, and bringing her hair over her shoulder as she continued to braid. “Danni Beckman, Gunner of the Mugiwara Pirates,” she answered easily, before tacking on tauntingly. “You may have heard of me?”  


The princes all shared a look, before Fukaboshi began speaking, “Jinbei had two messages for Mugiwara Luffy.” Danni tied off the first braid and began on the other section of her hair, making an inquiring hum to indicate him to continue. “The first is: Do not fight with Hodi. The second is: I’m waiting in the ‘Sea Forest’.”  


“Oh?” Danni made an interested noise, an intrigued smile spreading across her face. “How interesting.” She quickly finished off her second braid, tying it off, before she stood, stretching languidly and making a pleased hum. “Well, when I run into my captain again, I’ll be sure to tell him.”  


Fukaboshi eyed her shrewdly before inquiring, “Will you not follow after him and your comrade? You could find them, could you not?”  


The pirate let out a laugh as she grabbed her clothes from their place tucked amongst the rocks and away from the water. She sat down on the rock and pulled her stockings up, wiggling her toes as she answered, “I could, of course. But my captain tends to get caught up in things, and I wish to explore the island at my own pace for once.”  


She stood and pulled her shorts up, buttoning them up as she continued, ignoring the various looks she was getting from the natives, “Granted, with our luck we’ll meet sooner than later, and probably with our lives threatened for whatever reason.” Pulling on her top and then her gloves, she grabbed her sash, the three charms clinking together as she picked up the purple fabric, and tied it around her hips.  


The pirate sat down again to pull on her boots, humming and then adding cheerfully, “Should be loads of fun!”  


“...Having your lives threatened?” the prince questioned unsurely, eyeing the strange woman in trepidation. She gave off a wild feeling that set his teeth on edge and he wasn’t sure how to react to her exactly.  


Sudden gold eyes met his own and a dangerous smile curled at her lips as she purred, “That’s up to you.” Then the golden eyes were gone as she ducked her head to tie her laces. She hopped up, rocking on her feet slightly and acting as if nothing was wrong, even though she’d sent shivers down the three prince’s spines. She gave the surrounding underwater beings a toothy grin and a wave, saying cheerily, “I’ll be taking my leave then!”

Mindless

Danni had been wandering a bit mindlessly after leaving the mermaid cove behind, vaguely following the faint trail of Robin’s emotions. She was feeling a bit antsy having been separated from her crew again after only just being together once more, but it wasn’t as nerve wrecking as before. She could feel them all now, and so knew they weren’t in any danger. She had decided on going after Robin, though because she was the calmest out of the crew and just what she needed to soothe frazzled nerves.  


The pirate was aware she’d been acting rather out of character from before the two years but seeing and being with her crew again had just made her so happy she couldn’t contain herself. But she was starting to calm down again, but not fully, thus following Robin.  


The sudden surge in the crowds around her had her tensing and frantically climbing up one of the buildings lining the streets to get to the roof, and thus away from the crowds. Crouching on the roof, eyes wide and somewhat wild she stared down at the street trying to find the source of the sudden surge in the crowds. There calls and shouts about a ‘Madam Shirley’ and gold eyes zeroed in on a shark mermaid clutching at her head and shouting.  


“Go find him!! The pirate boy with the ripped straw hat...!! Send him out, please!! Get him out of this nation at once!!” the frantic mermaid cried out, voice panicked and fearful. Danni frowned, wondering what the hell she was going about. She strained her ears to hear the shark’s next words in response to one of the fishmen’s questions, “...I didn’t intend to see it, but I felt something from that child...so I just happened to look in! To the future!!”  


She clutched her head harder and leaned against the ground harshly, moaning in pain. “I hope I’m wrong... I want to be incorrect!!” she murmured desperately, eyes tearing up. “By a human with a ripped strawhat, Mugiwara Luffy, BY HIS HANDS FISHMAN ISLAND WILL BE DESTROYED!!”  


“...That’s not good,” Danni murmured softly, scooting back from the edge of the roof and into the shadow of the doorway downstairs. Her eyes slowly bled back to brown as she frowned, before she shot one last glance down at the shocked and slowly becoming angered crowd and hopped silently to the next roof.  


She wanted to reach Robin soon. She could feel a seething source of hatred beneath everything here on the island and it set her teeth on edge.

Contagious

“Oh, it’s Robin!” Danni chirped, spotting the older woman finishing an attack on someone. She quickened her pace and with a hop pounced on the woman, “Robin~!” She pecked the corner of the woman’s mouth in greeting, inhaling her scent deeply at the same time, purring at the sweet smell. She loosened her grip on Robin, smiling up at her brightly and already feeling herself calm down from the soothing presence of her crewmate.  


“Danni,” Robin greeted in return, smiling. “Are you joining me to go to the Forest?” Danni nodded, letting go of her completely and trotting next to her as they entered the fish bus that would take them to where they wanted. Danni took a seat next to Robin resting her head against the bigger woman’s shoulder and making a low rumbling sound.  


“Fufufu, you’ve certainly grown more affectionate,” the archeologist commented, an arm sprouting from behind the animalistic girl and stroking her hair.  


Danni hummed in agreement, “I have my pack back safe and sound, and I don’t have to worry any more about leaving you all behind.” Robin peered down at the younger girl with a furrowed brow. What did she mean by leaving them behind? “Oh, I should remember to tell Luffy, Zoro, and Chopper that I’m not sick anymore so they don’t have to worry.”  


“Sick?” Robin questioned worriedly. Danni blinked up at her, before her mouth opened into an ‘o’ shape and then she smiled sheepishly.  


“Oops,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck as she straightened in her seat. “I forgot the rest of you all didn’t know.” Danni then continued, telling Robin about her illness, and then her subsequent finding of her ancestor’s journals that described the curing of said illness.  


Robin stared at her for awhile after the explanation before asking, “And you’re completely sure it worked?”  
Danni nodded with a smile, “Un!”  


Robin hummed in thought, but decided to trust the gunner’s words. It explained quite a few things about her crewmate, as well as Luffy and Zoro’s rather protective stance towards her. She was glad though. Even now, she could tell that the other woman was healthier looking and had more energy. It helped soothe the memories of a pale and gaunt face caked with dirt and blood looking so _panicked and pained and oh god they weren’t running-why weren’t they running?-please-- _  
__

She cut her train of thought abruptly, frowning minutely and glancing over at Danni. The woman was staring out the window with a content look on her face, humming Bink’s Sake under her breath. Robin felt something ease inside of her. Danni’s continued cheerfulness and sheer happiness at being around the crew again was contagious and Robin could feel a smile crawling its way onto her face.  


The slowing of the bus caught their attention, and Danni perked up and crowed excitedly, “Franky and Sunny are nearby!!”  


“Oh?” Robin hummed, smile widening as they left the bus and followed the path leading to the Coral Forest. 

Franky perked up upon seeing two figures heading his direction, catching Den’s attention when the shipwright held his arms open with a wide grin on his face. “Danni! Robin!” he called out cheerfully, easily catching the smaller woman when she leapt at him exuberantly, taking the planted kiss in stride and the subsequent purr.  


Den eyed the women carefully, eyes straying from the taller one to the other one now perched on Franky’s shoulder with a wary sort of fear. “Franky,” Robin greeted back calmly, eyes crinkling as she smiled, watching Danni pat curiously at the cyborg’s new mohawk. He endured the petting with good humor, glad that she was still the same if a bit more animal like.  


“What are you girls up too out here?” Franky asked curiously, more towards Robin than Danni, who was now poking at the new additions to his arms and thus utterly distracted.  


Robin laughed lightly and replied, “I’m looking for something, so I’ll be heading into the Forest. Keep an eye on Danni?” She said the last part in jest mostly, but Franky nodded seriously. The gunner seemed to be the most unstable of the group after rejoining with the crew and seeing as they had been separated so soon after being reunited again, all of them were worried about her.  


She was the most emotionally tied to the crew besides Luffy and felt everything so acutely it was a testament to her sheer will power she hadn’t crumbled under the strain.  


Robin smiled again and waved before making her way into the large forest, content with the fact that Franky would keep the silent promise to watch out for Danni. “I am okay, Franky,” Danni said matter of factly from her precarious perch on his shoulder, resting her head on her knees and grinning at him when he turned to look at her.  


He eyed her dubiously and asked seriously, “Are you sure?”  


Her eyes flashed gold briefly and she hummed, “Yeah, I’m sure. I can feel you all now so I don’t have to worry about never finding you again.” Franky raised an eyebrow at the odd statement but didn’t question it, content with the surety in her answer. Danni then turned her eyes over to Den, who was still watching her warily, and asked curiously, “Who’s this?”  


The fishman fought of a shiver as her eyes pierced into him, eyeing him like a predator it’s prey and it sent the hairs on the back of his neck rising. A deep instinctual urge to run away reared its head violently as her eyes flashed gold and she breathed in deeply, obviously tasting the air. Then the look and feeling vanished as she looked away and Franky answered cheerily, seemingly unaware of the moment, “This is Den-chan! He’s the one coating our Sunny!”

Cage

Nami hadn’t realized how much of a cage Danni had seemed to put herself in until they’d all reunited again. The older woman had seemed much lighter and _free _; like some heavy weight had been lifted off; or perhaps broken free from a cage. She was suddenly showing her emotions and connecting better with the crew.  
__

She hadn’t been emotionless or uncaring towards the crew, but Nami had noticed the gunner was closed off and tended to hold the others at arm’s length. Oh, Danni cared for them all and saw them as family, but there had always been a sort of emotional distance between them. Sort of like she felt like she wouldn’t be with them for much longer. But now she was bridging the gap between them all, and because of it she was being excessively affectionate with them all now.  


Nami liked it though. She didn’t feel like she was going to lose the gunner one day and never see her again. It was like now she was silently promising to always stay with them. But with that came the beast that lurked beneath the surface, now broken free from its cage. Nami couldn’t bring herself to be afraid of it though.  


It was Danni, and Danni would never hurt one of the crew. They were nakama.

Sanji stayed quiet as Danni draped herself over him with half lidded eyes and a content look on her face. Jinbei was explaining Fishmen Island’s bloody past and the subsequent consequences of all the actions taken, and the gunner had made a beeline for the cook and promptly draped herself over him, inhaling deeply from time to time to take in his scent.  


The cook knew she was listening though by the fact that her eyes would occasionally flash gold when something Jinbei said caught her attention. He was uncomfortable at first when she had dropped on him, but the low rumbling noise she was making was quick to relax him and soothe frazzled nerves. He should have known that she would see his new edginess around women and seek to help him get over it.  


Danni was the most observant over the subtle reactions to the crew so of course she would notice that his reactions to women were over exaggerated to hide the nervous energy coiled inside tightly. The nosebleeds were half-reaction to the female body and half-stress induced from stopping himself flinching away from said female.  


Sanji was thankful for her new over affectionate ways, as he found the nervous energy was slowly loosening. It would still be awhile before he’d get over it completely, but he noticed that with Danni’s touchy feely actions, the rest of the crew were becoming much more receptive to affection from each other as well.  


Luffy had never been a very personal space aware person, but instead of just invading the bubble (though he still did that) he was also bumping shoulders, draping himself over someone, or even patting someone’s head. And that was just Luffy. Even Zoro had been doing subtle, unconscious movements of physical affection.  


But Sanji couldn’t bring himself to mind, even when it was the men of the crew doing it. The moves helped soothe the blurred and panicked memories of everyone's faces twisted into fear and overwhelming terror or blood caked skin and _wild eyes agonized screams and-- _  
__

He cut his thoughts abruptly and focused back on the story and Danni’s calming purrs. Everyone was okay now. They were all together and they wouldn’t allow themselves to ever been separated so terribly ever again.

Human

Chopper knew Danni wasn’t entirely human anymore. She was too much _predatorbeastanimalrunrunrun _\-- but she was still Danni. She was still the _protectormothercomforter _and if she had to change her very being to get stronger for Luffy, then he would fight every instinct that told him to run from her.  
____

So when the battle was on and there was blood and screams when a loud howl of a wolf with the low guttural echo of a tiger sounded above all the noise, the only thing Chopper could think was good _._

Jinbei fought back a violent flinch at the echoing howl that rose above the clamoring noise of the battle, a deep instinct telling him to _run awayrunawayruNAWAY _\-- but he shoved it away and locked in on the source of the disconcerting noise.  
__

It was the gunner of the Mugiwara Crew.  


Her eyes were a glaring gold (hadn’t they been brown before, though?) and wide with the high of battle, lips stretched in a feral grin that showed off her abnormal canines. She was tearing through her opponents with her two rifles, using one as a battering ram, while shooting strange bullets that had rather adverse effects when fired from the other, newer looking one. Most of her opponents were cowering back and flinching away from her, looking more terrified of her than any of the other more destructive crewmates.  


It was a deep instinctual fear of a mighty predator that reflected in their eyes and Jinbei was beginning to wonder how Luffy managed to wrangle this beast onto his crew, in a sense _collaring _a feral animal.__

Usopp was a scaredy-cat he wasn’t afraid to admit that. Sometimes deep in his own mind he would admit he was afraid of his own crewmates occasionally. They were so monstrously strong and scary so where did he fit in all of that? But then Sabaody happened and suddenly none of them were strong and he could still hear Luffy’s frantic and desperate screams to _runrunrUNRUNPLEASERUNPLEASE _; could see Danni’s blood caked and pale face dazed and agonized and looking like her world had just ended.  
__

_And he never wanted to see that again _.  
__

So he fought just as hard as the others in the battle, and instead of being frightened by the sudden howl that emanated from Danni’s throat he let it firm his resolve. Not even seeing the wide feral grin on the gunner’s face, or the luminescent gold eyes, hungering for more blood, or even the graceful way she contorted her body as she fought using her guns, could frighten him.  


He was strong.  


He was a part of the crew for a reason.

Brook had always been able to sense the beast lurking beneath the surface that was Danni Beckman, but hadn’t paid it much mind. What did he care for the woman that could probably rip him apart easily, when he didn’t really have a will to live much anymore ( _hewassolonely -- whywHY -- whywashealiveandtheywerealldead -- deaddeaddeadalldeadWHY _).  
__

And then he was a part of the crew and he suddenly had to take notice of the caged animal. Could it end up being a threat to the crew? But Danni had shown she was fiercely protective of the crew and would fight tooth and nail for them even though her own body was failing her.  


Oh, he knew of her illness. Could see the all to familiar signs of the pale skin, coughing up blood, getting nauseous over certain plants. It had been the end to one of his dearest friends growing up and the reason he’d set sail for the sea.  


He never said anything, though. It wasn’t his place. He decided to watch over her. The beast would follow her lead, and he was satisfied with that.  


Then they were all reunited again and suddenly the beast was at the forefront and just as fiercely protective of the crew as Danni.  


And she wasn’t sick any more.  


If the exchange between the beast and the illness was what it took, Brook would take it over and over so he would never have to watch a close friend die ever again. 

Flush

Danni had a happy flush to her face, happy that her captain was safe once more and the fighting was done with no grievous wounds and alcohol was flowing. She hummed quietly to herself, before spotting Robin make her way out with the King trailing after at a short distance. Curiosity peaked, she followed the duo, casually slipping up next to Robin and listening with half an ear as they talked, breathing in deeply as she did.  


Her nose twitched when a disgusting smell reached her, and she narrowed her eyes, completely turning away from Robin and the King’s conversation. With a single minded determinedness she stalked over to the ledge of the balcony where the scent was coming from, frowning when she caught faint traces of malevolent emotions. Hopping up on the ledge she peered into the darkness, before catching the traces again and leaping after them without a second thought.  


She arrived at the source in time to see Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji be sent flying off in the distance with Nami screaming at them to get the treasure. “Hoooh?” the gunner said amusedly, shading her eyes with one hand as she watched the boys sailing away. “What brought that on?” She listened as Nami ranted about the treasure being stolen from the castle and the subsequent deduction of who stole and it and whether or not they could keep the treasure or not.  


Danni gave her an amused look and asked pointedly, “And you let Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji go after it? You know that’s just asking for something to happen to it, right?” Nami’s face paled as she gaped at the older girl in horror.

Drops

Zoro watched Danni as she snoozed against his thigh, having settled there after the ship had began making its trip back to the surface after saying their goodbyes and making their promise to the princess. He was glad to note that her sleeping wasn’t because she was exhausted and had over worked her body but because she just wanted the comfort of being close to the first mate after so long.  


And he wouldn’t have to worry about her over working her body and losing more time to live anymore. She had finally gotten around to telling him, Luffy, and Chopper that she was no longer ill thanks to some sort of ritual her ancestors had written about or something. He was just thankful he didn’t have wonder when the last straw to her life would break anymore.  


He wouldn’t have to see drops of blood escaping her mouth for no apparent reason.  


The swordsman closed his eyes and hummed in contentment, slipping into a doze of his own. All was right with the crew now. They were together and better than ever and would never let that shameful separation happen ever again.

Luffy fiddled with the ends of his gunner’s braids, listening the to rhythmic breathing from the woman’s sleeping form. Random bursts of purring happened occasionally and the noise always eased something inside of the captain. He hadn’t realized it until _much much later _, but he knew that _she had been there when Ace died _.  
____

She had felt that soul crushing pain, the darkness encroaching on his mind, the _sheer agony _of it all. He frowned silently, tracing the scars on her face lightly. They were there because of his own weakness.  
__

Danni shifted under the touch, eyes slowly blinking open. “Luffy?” she murmured sleepily, looking up at him in confusion.  


He let a wide grin split his face, “Shishishi, rise and shine, Danni! It’s time for a new adventure!”  


But he was stronger now.  


They all were. 

****

Fin


End file.
